, since you cannot
root out the barons.

Hence we need not wonder at the ease wherewith Alexander was able to lay
a firm hold on Asia, albeit he died before he had well entered on
possession; since the dominion of Darius was of the same character as
that of the Turk.

When the newly acquired state has hitherto lived under its own laws and
in freedom there are three ways of holding it. The first is to destroy
it; the second to reside in it; the third to leave it under its own
laws, choosing for its governors from the inhabitants such as will be
friendly to you. But the safest course is either to destroy it or to go
and live in it.

Where the prince himself is new, either merit or good fortune is
implied, and if we consider the most excellent examples, such as Moses,
Cyrus, Romulus, and the like, we shall see that they owed to fortune
nothing beyond the opportunity which they seized. Those who, like these,
come to the princedom by virtuous paths acquire with difficulty, but
keep with ease. Their difficulties arise because they are of necessity
innovators. If, then, they have force of their own to employ they seldom
fail. Hence it comes that all armed prophets have been victorious and
all unarmed prophets have been destroyed; as was the case with
Savonarola.

_II.--Of Princedoms Won Otherwise than by Merit_

Those who rise to princedom by mere good fortune have much trouble to
maintain themselves; some lack both the knowledge and the power to do
so. Yet even if such a one be of great parts, he may lose what he has
won, like Cesare Borgia.

It was impossible for the duke to aggrandise himself unless the states
of Italy were thrown into confusion so that he might safely make himself
master of some part of them. This was made easy for him as concerned
Romagna by the conduct of the French and Venetians. The next step was to
weaken the factions of the Orsini and the Colonnesi. Having scattered
the Colonnesi, the Orsini were so won over as to be drawn in their
simplicity into his hands at Sinigaglia. Having thus disposed of the
leaders, he set about ingratiating himself with the population of
Romagna and Urbino. He first set over the country a stern ruler to
restore order. This end being accomplished, that stern but unpopular
ruler was beheaded.

Next, as a new pope might be dangerous, he set himself to exterminate
the kindred of those lords whom he had despoiled of their possessions,
to win over the Roman nobility,