The Prince — Niccolò Machiavelli

The Prince

Niccolò Machiavelli · License: Public domain · Source

• Produced by John Bickers, David Widger and Others ¶1
• Nicolo Machiavelli, born at Florence on 3rd May 1469. From 1494 to 1512 held an official post at Florence which included diplomatic missions to various European courts. Imprisoned in Florence, 1512; later exiled and returned to San Casciano. Died at Florence on 22nd June 1527. ¶5
• Nicolo Machiavelli was born at Florence on 3rd May 1469. He was the second son of Bernardo di Nicolo Machiavelli, a lawyer of some repute, and of Bartolommea di Stefano Nelli, his wife. Both parents were members of the old Florentine nobility. ¶7
• OFFICE -- Aet. 25-43--1494-1512 ¶12
• LITERATURE AND DEATH -- Aet. 43-58--1512-27 ¶21
• Knowledge doth come of learning well retained, Unfruitful else, ¶23
• Machiavelli was absent from Florence at this time, but hastened his return, hoping to secure his former office of secretary to the "Ten of Liberty and Peace." Unhappily he was taken ill soon after he reached Florence, where he died on 22nd June 1527. ¶30
• The following is a list of the works of Machiavelli: ¶38
• Other poems include Sonetti, Canzoni, Ottave, and Canti carnascialeschi. ¶40
• Editions. Aldo, Venice, 1546; della Tertina, 1550; Cambiagi, Florence, 6 vols., 1782-5; dei Classici, Milan, 10 1813; Silvestri, 9 vols., 1820-2; Passerini, Fanfani, Milanesi, 6 vols. only published, 1873-7. ¶41
• To the Magnificent Lorenzo Di Piero De' Medici: ¶44
• Those who strive to obtain the good graces of a prince are accustomed to come before him with such things as they hold most precious, or in which they see him take most delight; whence one often sees horses, arms, cloth of gold, precious stones, and similar ornaments presented to princes, worthy of their greatness. ¶45
• CHAPTER I -- HOW MANY KINDS OF PRINCIPALITIES THERE ARE, AND BY WHAT MEANS THEY ARE ACQUIRED ¶51
• All states, all powers, that have held and hold rule over men have been and are either republics or principalities. ¶52
• Principalities are either hereditary, in which the family has been long established; or they are new. ¶53
• The new are either entirely new, as was Milan to Francesco Sforza, or they are, as it were, members annexed to the hereditary state of the prince who has acquired them, as was the kingdom of Naples to that of the King of Spain. ¶54
• Such dominions thus acquired are either accustomed to live under a prince, or to live in freedom; and are acquired either by the arms of the prince himself, or of others, or else by fortune or by ability. ¶55
• I will leave out all discussion on republics, inasmuch as in another place I have written of them at length, and will address myself only to principalities. In doing so I will keep to the order indicated above, and discuss how such principalities are to be ruled and preserved. CHAPTER II -- CONCERNING HEREDITARY PRIN
• (*) Duke Lodovico was Lodovico Moro, a son of Francesco Sforza, who married Beatrice d'Este. He ruled over Milan from 1494 to 1500, and died in 1510. CHAPTER III -- CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPA
• (*) See remark in the introduction on the word "intrattenere." CHAPTER III -- CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPA
• (*) Louis XII, King of France, "The Father of the People," born 1462, died 1515. CHAPTER III -- CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPA
• (+) Charles VIII, King of France, born 1470, died 1498. CHAPTER III -- CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPA
• (*) Louis XII divorced his wife, Jeanne, daughter of Louis XI, and married in 1499 Anne of Brittany, widow of Charles VIII, in order to retain the Duchy of Brittany for the crown. CHAPTER III -- CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPA
• (+) The Archbishop of Rouen. He was Georges d'Amboise, created a cardinal by Alexander VI. Born 1460, died 1510. CHAPTER III -- CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPA
• CHAPTER IV -- WHY THE KINGDOM OF DARIUS, CONQUERED BY ALEXANDER, DID NOT REBEL AGAINST THE SUCCESSORS OF ALEXANDER AT HIS DEATH CHAPTER III -- CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPA
• CHAPTER V -- CONCERNING THE WAY TO GOVERN CITIES OR PRINCIPALITIES WHICH LIVED UNDER THEIR OWN LAWS BEFORE THEY WERE ANNEXED CHAPTER III -- CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPA
• CHAPTER VI -- CONCERNING NEW PRINCIPALITIES WHICH ARE ACQUIRED BY ONE'S OWN ARMS AND ABILITY CHAPTER III -- CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPA
• (*) Hiero II, born about 307 B.C., died 216 B.C. CHAPTER III -- CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPA
• CHAPTER VII -- CONCERNING NEW PRINCIPALITIES WHICH ARE ACQUIRED EITHER BY THE ARMS OF OTHERS OR BY GOOD FORTUNE CHAPTER III -- CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPA
• (*) "Le radici e corrispondenze," their roots (i.e. foundations) and correspondencies or relations with other states--a common meaning of "correspondence" and "correspondency" in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. CHAPTER III -- CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPA
• (*) Sinigalia, 31st December 1502. CHAPTER III -- CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPA
• (*) Ramiro d'Orco. Ramiro de Lorqua. CHAPTER III -- CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPA
• (*) Alexander VI died of fever, 18th August 1503. CHAPTER III -- CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPA
• (+) Julius II was Giuliano della Rovere, Cardinal of San Pietro ad Vincula, born 1443, died 1513. CHAPTER III -- CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPA
• (*) San Giorgio is Raffaello Riario. Ascanio is Ascanio Sforza. CHAPTER III -- CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPA

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