Pagina 169 di 310

2. There never was a new prince who has disarmed his subjects;

rather when he has found them disarmed he has always armed them,

because, by arming them, those arms become yours, those men who

were distrusted become faithful, and those who were faithful are

kept so, and your subjects become your adherents. And whereas all

subjects cannot be armed, yet when those whom you do arm are

benefited, the others can be handled more freely, and this

difference in their treatment, which they quite understand, makes

the former your dependents, and the latter, considering it to be

necessary that those who have the most danger and service should

have the most reward, excuse you. But when you disarm them, you

at once offend them by showing that you distrust them, either for

cowardice or for want of loyalty, and either of these opinions

breeds hatred against you.