trongest possible government. Moral
principles, therefore, must yield entirely to the dictates of pure
expediency. It follows that the ruler who acts on the doctrines
laid down will pay no respect to right and wrong as such. Hence the
book has been mercilessly condemned. It was written probably about
1514, and not published till 1532.

_I.--Of Princedoms Won by Merit_

All states and governments are either republics or princedoms.
Princedoms are either hereditary or new. Hereditary states are
maintained with far less difficulty than new states, but in new
princedoms difficulties abound.

And first if the princedom be joined on to ancient dominions of the
prince, so as to form a mixed princedom, rebellion is a danger; for men
are always ready to change masters. When a state rebels and is again got
under it will not afterwards be lost so easily; for the prince will use
the rebellion as a pretext to make himself more secure.

Such new states when they are of the same province and tongue as the
ancient dominions of the prince are easily retained. It is enough to
have rooted out the line of the reigning prince. But where the language
and usages differ the difficulty is multiplied. One expedient is for the
prince himself to dwell in the new state, as the Turk has done in
Greece. Another is to send colonies into one or two places which may
become keys to the province; for the cost of troops is far greater. In
such provinces, moreover, the prince should always make himself the
protector of his weaker neighbours, without adding to their strength;
but should humble the great, and never suffer a formidable stranger to
acquire influence, as was the rule with the Romans. Whereas King Louis
of France has in Italy done the direct opposite in every single respect.
In especial we may draw from the French king's actions the general
axiom, which never or rarely errs, that "he who is the cause of
another's greatness is himself undone."

Now, all princedoms are governed in one or two ways: either by a sole
prince served by ministers, or by a prince with barons who hold their
rank not by favour but by right of descent. The Turk is an example of
the first, the French king of the second. A state of the first kind is
difficult to win, but when won is easily held, since the prince's family
may be easily rooted out; but in such a state as France you may gain an
entry, but to hold your ground afterwards is difficult