tty,
suffer disorders to follow, from whence arise murthers and rapines: for
these are wont to hurt an intire universality, whereas the executions
practised by a Prince, hurt only some particular. And among all sorts of
Princes, it is impossible for a new Prince to avoyd the name of cruel,
because all new States are full of dangers: whereupon Virgil by the
mouth of Dido excuses the inhumanity of her Kingdom, saying,

_Res dura et Regni novitas me talia cogunt
Moliri et late fines custode tenere._

My hard plight and new State force me to guard
My confines all about with watch and ward.

Nevertheless ought he to be judicious in his giving belief to any thing,
or moving himself thereat, nor make his people extreamly afraid of him;
but proceed in a moderate way with wisdome, and humanity, that his too
much confidence make him not unwary, and his too much distrust
intolerable; from hence arises a dispute, whether it is better to be
belov'd or feard: I answer, a man would wish he might be the one and the
other: but because hardly can they subsist both together, it is much
safer to be feard, than be loved; being that one of the two must needs
fail; for touching men, we may say this in general, they are unthankful,
unconstant, dissemblers, they avoyd dangers, and are covetous of gain;
and whilest thou doest them good, they are wholly thine; their blood,
their fortunes, lives and children are at thy service, as is said
before, when the danger is remote; but when it approaches, they revolt.
And that Prince who wholly relies upon their words, unfurnished of all
other preparations, goes to wrack: for the friendships that are gotten
with rewards, and not by the magnificence and worth of the mind, are
dearly bought indeed; but they will neither keep long, nor serve well in
time of need: and men do less regard to offend one that is supported by
love, than by fear. For love is held by a certainty of obligation, which
because men are mischievous, is broken upon any occasion of their own
profit. But fear restrains with a dread of punishment which never
forsakes a man. Yet ought a Prince cause himself to be belov'd in such a
manner, that if he gains not love, he may avoid hatred: for it may well
stand together, that a man may be feard and not hated; which shall never
fail, if he abstain from his subjects goods, and their wives; and
whensoever he should be forc'd to proceed against any of their lives, do
it when it is to be don