Pagina 155 de 310

But Pertinax was created emperor against the wishes of the

soldiers, who, being accustomed to live licentiously under

Commodus, could not endure the honest life to which Pertinax

wished to reduce them; thus, having given cause for hatred, to

which hatred there was added contempt for his old age, he was

overthrown at the very beginning of his administration. And here

it should be noted that hatred is acquired as much by good works

as by bad ones, therefore, as I said before, a prince wishing to

keep his state is very often forced to do evil; for when that

body is corrupt whom you think you have need of to maintain

yourself-it may be either the people or the soldiers or the

nobles-you have to submit to its humours and to gratify them, and

then good works will do you harm.