people shall free
him, when either his enemyes or the Magistrates oppresse him: In this
case he should find himself often deceiv'd, as it befell the Gracchyes
in Rome, and in Florence George Scali: but he being a Prince that
grounds thereupon, who can command, and is a man of courage, who hath
his wits about him in his adversityes, and wants not other preparations,
and holds together the whole multitude animated with his valour and
orders, shall not prove deceiv'd by them, and shall find he hath layd
good foundations. These Principalityes are wont to be upon the point of
falling when they goe about to skip from the civil order to the
absolute: for these Princes either command of themselves, or by the
Magistrate; in this last case their State is more weak and dangerous,
because they stand wholly at the will and pleasure of these Citizens,
who then are set over the Magistrates, who especially in adverse times
are able with facility to take their State from them either by rising up
against them, or by not obeying them; and then the Prince is not at hand
in those dangers to take the absolute authority upon him: for the
Citizens and subjects that are accustomed to receive the commands from
the Magistrates, are not like in those fractions to obey his: and in
doubtfull times he shall alwayes have greatest penury of whom he may
trust; for such a Prince cannot ground upon that which he sees in
peaceable times, when the Citizens have need of the State; for then
every one runs, and every one promises, and every one will venture his
life for him, where there is no danger neare; but in times of hazzard,
when the State hath need of Citizens, there are but few of them then,
and so much the more is this experience dangerous, in that it can be but
once made. Therefore a prudent Prince ought to devise a way whereby his
Citizens alwayes and in any case and quality of time may have need of
his government, and they shall alwaies after prove faithfull to him.

CHAP. X

In what manner the Forces of all Principalities ought to be measured.

It is requisite in examining the quality of those Principalities, to
have another consideration of them, that is, if a Prince have such
dominions, that he is able in case of necessity to subsist of himself,
or else whether he hath alwaies need of another to defend him. And to
cleer this point the better, I judge them able to stand of themselves,
who are of power either for their multitudes of men