he government of the
Senate, this quality of his that would have disgrac'd him not only was
conceal'd, but prov'd to the advancement of his glory. I conclude then,
returning to the purpose of being feard, and belov'd; insomuch as men
love at their own pleasure, and to serve their own turne, and their fear
depends upon the Princes pleasure, every wise Prince ought to ground
upon that which is of himself, and not upon that which is of another:
only this, he ought to use his best wits to avoid hatred, as was said.

CHAP. XVIII

In what manner Princes ought to keep their words.

How commendable in a Prince it is to keep his word, and live with
integrity, not making use of cunning and subtlety, every one knows well:
yet we see by experience in these our dayes, that those Princes have
effected great matters, who have made small reckoning of keeping their
words, and have known by their craft to turne and wind men about, and in
the end, have overcome those who have grounded upon the truth. You must
then know, there are two kinds of combating or fighting; the one by
right of the laws, the other meerly by force. That first way is proper
to men, the other is also common to beasts: but because the first many
times suffices not, there is a necessity to make recourse to the second;
wherefore it behooves a Prince to know how to make good use of that part
which belongs to a beast, as well as that which is proper to a man. This
part hath been covertly shew'd to Princes by ancient writers; who say
that Achilles and many others of those ancient Princes were intrusted to
Chiron the Senator, to be brought up under his discipline: the moral of
this, having for their teacher one that was half a beast and half a man,
was nothing else, but that it was needful for a Prince to understand how
to make his advantage of the one and the other nature, because neither
could subsist without the other. A Prince then being necessitated to
know how to make use of that part belonging to a beast, ought to serve
himself of the conditions of the Fox and the Lion; for the Lion cannot
keep himself from snares, nor the Fox defend himself against the Wolves.
He had need then be a Fox, that he may beware of the snares, and a Lion
that he may scare the wolves. Those that stand wholly upon the Lion,
understand not well themselves. And therefore a wise Prince cannot, nor
ought not keep his faith given when the observance thereof turnes to
disadvantage, and th