XXXVII. Nor can I perceive such profundity or acuteness, in these so
much applauded maxims, either of Aristotle, or Machiavel, as may render
it worth the while of a politician of special perspicuity, to bestow
much time in reading or studying them; as a moderate understanding,
without their help, will enable a man to acquire all they teach; nor is
there any thing necessary to carry them into execution, but a hardened
and a perverted heart.
XXXVIII. The maxim, that a tyrant must be supported by making himself
feared, and not trust to the love of his subjects, is as clear as
day-light; for how can those, whom he is continually oppressing with a
hard slavery, have any love for him? And it follows of course, that he
must treat them as he would enemies, and endeavour to keep them poor,
as every one knows, that the more you impoverish your enemy, the more
you deprive him of the means of injuring you.
XXXIX. It is also an immediate consequence deducible from the same
principle, that it will be proper for him to put more confidence in
strangers, than his own subjects; for who but a stupid person, would
confide in one, who he knows is fired with indignation against him?
The necessity of keeping a number of emissaries in such a situation,
to inform him of the words and actions of those whom he suspects are
not his friends, would occur to every rustic, and is what is daily
practised by rustics in their way; for if one of these suspects any
man to be his enemy, he is continually observing his conduct, watching
his motions, and as far as he is able, prying into his designs. The
advantages of religious and virtuous appearances, to command respect,
are manifest to every young girl; and the art of fomenting discords,
and encouraging opposite factions in a state, in order to preserve the
balance of power equal between them, may be learned from the tumblers
and rope-dancers, who support themselves, by keeping the weights at the
opposite ends of their poles in equilibrio.
XL. It was said of Catherine of Medicis, who with the nicest caution,
and greatest vigilance, continued to put this contrivance in practice
for a long time, that she studied Machiavel every day, and that she had
always his book in her hand, or else laying by her, which occasioned a
satyrical writer to call it the New Testament of the queen; but perhaps
this was said of her, on account of her being obliged to have recourse
to the before-named arts. But in order to do this, what necessity
was there for her having such a master at her elbow? The posture and
situation of affairs, pointed out sufficiently to a person of the
abilities and penetration of that queen, the utility of dispensing some
favours to the heretics, and by conciliating their good-will, causing
their weight to serve as a counterpoize to the power of the catholics,
of whom she was jealous and apprehensive, but always taking care at
the same time to declare and profess, that in point of faith she was a
catholic, to prevent the affections of that party from being weaned and
estranged from her.
XLI. There have not been wanting those, who have attributed the same
policy to Constantine the Great, who, at the same time that he was
favouring Christianity, kept Gentiles in his ministry, and filled
posts of importance with them. But this we should suppose was an act
of necessity, because it was incumbent on him to proceed with caution,
in so great and arduous a work, as that of the conversion of the whole
Roman empire. If he had endeavoured to beat down Paganism at a blow,
and by open force and violence, he might possibly never have been able
to accomplished it.