As Much as the Founders1 of Republics and Kingdoms are Laudable, So Much are Those of a Tyranny Shameful3
Among all men who have been praised, the most lauded4 are those who are heads and establishers of Religion. Next after them are those who have founded Republics or Kingdoms. After these are celebrated5 those who have commanded armies, [and] who have enlarged the [territory] of their Kingdom of those of their country. To these should be added men of letters, and because these are of many fields, they are celebrated according to their degree [of excellence]. To other men, the number of whom is infinite, some degree of praise is given to them as pertain6 to their art and profession. On the other hand, those men are infamous7 and destroyers of Religion, dissipators of Kingdoms and Republics, enemies of virtu, of letters, and of every other art which brings usefulness and honor to human generations [mankind], such as are the impious and violent, the ignorant, the idle, the vile8 and degraded. And no one will ever be so mad or so wise, so wicked or so good, that selecting between these two kinds of men, does not laud2 what is laudable, and censure9 what is censurable10. None the less, however, nearly all men deceived by a false good or a false glory allow themselves to drift either voluntarily or ignorantly into the ranks of those who merit more censure that praise. And being able to establish either a Kingdom or a Republic with eternal honor to themselves, they turn to Tyranny, nor do they see because of this action how much fame, how much glory, how much honor, security, and tranquil11 satisfaction of the mind, they lose; and how much infamy12, disgrace, censure, danger, and disquiet13, they incur14. And it is impossible that those who live as private individuals in a Republic, or who by fortune or virtu become Princes, if they read the history and the records of ancient events, would do well living as private citizens in their country to live rather as a Scipio than a Caesar; and those who are Princes, rather as Agesilaus, Timoleon, and Dion, than as Nabis, Phalaris, and Dionysius, because they will see these [latter] to be thoroughly15 disgraced and those [former] most highly praised. They will also see that Timoleon and the others had no less authority in their country than had Dionysius and Phalaris, but they will see that they had had greater security for a longer time. Nor is there anyone who deceives himself by the glory of Caesar, he being especially celebrated by writers, for those who praised him were corrupted17 by his fortune and frightened by the long duration of the Empire which, ruling under his name did not permit that writers should talk of him freely. But whoever wants to know what the writers would have said of him freely, let him observe what they say of Cataline. And so much more is Caesar to be detested18, as how much more is he to be censured19 for that which he did, than he who [just] intends to do evil. He will also see how Brutus was extolled20 with so many praises; so that not being able to censure him [Caesar] because of his power they extolled his enemy. Let he who has become a Prince in a Republic also consider how much more praise those Emperors merited who, after Rome became an Empire, lived under the laws [and] as good Princes, than those who lived an in a contrary manner; and he will also see that it was not necessary for the praetorian soldiers or the multitudes of the legions to defend Titus, Nerva, Trajan, Hadrai Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus, and Marcus [Aurelius], because their customs, the good will of the people, and the love of the Senate would defend them. He will also see that the Eastern and Western armies were not sufficient to save Caligula, Nero, Vitellius, and so many other wicked emperors, from those enemies which their bad customs and evil lives had raised up against them.
And if the history of those men should be well considered, it would be very instructive to any Prince in pointing out to him the way to glory or censure, to security or fear. For of the twenty-six who were Emperors from Caesar to Maximinius, sixteen were murdered. Ten died in a natural way; and if among those who were murdered there may have been some good men, such as Galba and Pertinax, they were killed by that corruption21 that his predecessors22 had left among the soldiers. And if among those who died in a natural way there were some wicked, such as Severns, it resulted from their very great good fortune and virtu, which two things are found together in few men. He will also learn from this lesson of history how a good Kingdom can be organized, for all, except Titus, were bad: [and] those who succeeded by adoption23 were all good, such as were those five from Nero to Marcus [Aurelius]. And when the Empire became hereditary24, it came to ruin. Let a Prince therefore place himself in the times of Nero and Marcus, and let him compare them with those which preceded and followed [that period] and afterward25 let him select in which [of the two] he would want to be born and in which he would want to reign26. For in those times governed by good [Emperors], he will see a Prince secure in thy midst of secure citizens, he will see the world full of peace and justice, he will see the Senate with its authority, the Magistrates27 with their honor, rich citizens enjoying their wealth, nobility and virtu exalted28, he will see every quiet and good; and on the other hand [he will see] every rancor29, every license30, corruption, and ambition extinct; he will see that golden era where everyone can hold and defend whatever opinion he wishes: In the end, he will see the triumph of the world, the Prince full of reverence31 and glory, the people full of love and security. Then if he will consider the sorrowful times of the other Emperors, he will see the atrocities32 from war, discords33 from seditions, cruelty in peace and war, so many Princes slain34 by the sword, so many civil wars, so many foreign wars, Italy afflicted35 and full of new misfortunes, her Cities ruined and sacked: He will see Rome burned, the Capitol of its citizens destroyed, the ancient temples desolate36, ceremonies corrupted, the City full of adulterers: he will see the sea full of exiles, the shores full of blood. He will see innumerable cruelties take place in Rome, and nobility, riches, honors, and above all virtu, accounted capital crimes. He will see informers rewarded, servants corrupted against the masters, freemen against their patrons, and those who should lack enemies, oppressed by friends. And he will also recognize very well what obligations Rome, Italy, and the world owed to Caesar. And without doubt [if he was born of man], he would be dismayed at every imitation of those evil times, and burning with an immense desire to follow the good. And truly, a Prince seeking the glory of the world ought to desire to possess a corrupt16 City, not to spoil it entirely37 like Caesar, but to reorganize it like Romulus. And truly the heavens cannot give man a greater opportunity for glory, nor could man desire a better one. And if to want to organize a City well, it should be necessary to abolish the Principate, he who had failed to [give her good laws] should merit some excuse. But he does not merit any excuse who can hold the Principate and organize it. And in sum, let he to whom the heavens gives the opportunity consider that there are two ways: The one which will make him live securely and render him glorious after his death, the other which will make him live in continual anxiety and after death leave of himself an eternal infamy.
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founders
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| n.创始人( founder的名词复数 ) | |
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laud
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| n.颂歌；v.赞美 | |
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shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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lauded
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| v.称赞，赞美( laud的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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pertain
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| v.(to)附属，从属；关于；有关；适合，相称 | |
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infamous
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| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
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vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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censure
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| v./n.责备；非难；责难 | |
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censurable
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| adj.可非难的，该责备的 | |
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tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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infamy
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| n.声名狼藉，出丑，恶行 | |
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disquiet
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| n.担心，焦虑 | |
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incur
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| vt.招致，蒙受，遭遇 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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corrupt
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| v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的 | |
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corrupted
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| （使）败坏( corrupt的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏 | |
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detested
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| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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censured
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| v.指责，非难，谴责( censure的过去式 ) | |
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extolled
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| v.赞颂，赞扬，赞美( extol的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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predecessors
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| n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身 | |
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adoption
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| n.采用，采纳，通过；收养 | |
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hereditary
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| adj.遗传的，遗传性的，可继承的，世袭的 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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magistrates
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| 地方法官，治安官( magistrate的名词复数 ) | |
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exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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rancor
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| n.深仇，积怨 | |
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license
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| n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许 | |
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reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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atrocities
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| n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪 | |
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discords
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| 不和（discord的复数形式） | |
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slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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