Pagina 135 di 310

This has been figuratively taught to princes by ancient writers,

who describe how Achilles and many other princes of old were

given to the Centaur Chiron to nurse, who brought them up in his

discipline; which means solely that, as they had for a teacher

one who was half beast and half man, so it is necessary for a

prince to know how to make use of both natures, and that one

without the other is not durable. A prince, therefore, being

compelled knowingly to adopt the beast, ought to choose the fox

and the lion; because the lion cannot defend himself against

snares and the fox cannot defend himself against wolves.

Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and

a lion to terrify the wolves. Those who rely simply on the lion

do not understand what they are about. Therefore a wise lord

cannot, nor ought he to, keep faith when such observance may be

turned against him, and when the reasons that caused him to

pledge it exist no longer.