old, and presently render him more secure and
firme in the State, than if he had already grown ancient therein: for a
new Prince is much more observd in his action, than a Prince by
inheritance; and when they are known to bee vertuous, men are much more
gaind and oblig'd to them thereby, than by the antiquity of their blood:
for men are much more taken by things present, than by things past, and
when in the present they find good, they content themselves therein, and
seeke no further; or rather they undertake the defence of him to their
utmost, when the Prince is not wanting in other matters to himself; and
so shall he gaine double glory to have given a beginning to a new
Principality, adornd, and strengthnd it with good lawes, good arms, good
friends, and good examples; as he shall have double shame, that is born
a Prince, and by reason of his small discretion hath lost it. And if we
shall consider those Lords, that in Italy have lost their States in our
dayes, as the King of Naples, the Duke of Milan, and others; first we
shall find in them a common defect, touching their armes, for the
reasons which have been above discoursd at length. Afterwards we shall
see some of them, that either shall have had the people for their
enemies; or be it they had the people to friend, could never know how to
assure themselves of the great ones: for without such defects as these,
States are not lost, which have so many nerves, that they are able to
maintaine an army in the feld. Philip of Macedon, not the father of
Alexander the Great, but he that was vanquished by Titus Quintius, had
not much State in regard of the greatnesse of the Romanes and of Greece
that assail'd him; neverthelesse in that he was a warlike man and knew
how to entertaine the people, and assure himself of the Nobles, for many
yeares he made the warre good against them: and though at last some town
perhaps were taken from him, yet the Kingdome remaind in his hands
still. Wherefore these our Princes who for many yeares had continued in
their Principalities, for having afterwards lost them, let them not
blame Fortune, but their own sloth; because they never having thought
during the time of quiet, that they could suffer a change (which is the
common fault of men, while faire weather lasts, not to provide for the
tempest) when afterwards mischiefes came upon them, thought rather upon
flying from them, than upon their defence, and hop'd that the people,
weary of the vanq