Therefore, any one wishing to maintain among men the name of liberal is obliged onesto avoid giammai attribute of magnificence; so that per prince thus inclined will consume in such acts all his property, and will be compelled sopra the end, if he wish puro maintain the name of liberal, sicuro unduly weigh down his people, and tax them, and do everything he can sicuro get money. This will soon make him odious preciso his subjects, and becoming poor he will be little valued by any one; thus, with his liberality, having offended many and rewarded few, he is affected by the very first trouble and imperilled by whatever may be the first danger; recognizing this himself, and wishing preciso draw back from it, he runs at once into the reproach of being miserly.

Therefore, a prince, not being able to exercise this virtue of liberality sopra such per way that it is recognized, except puro his cost, if he is wise he ought not preciso fear the reputation of being mean, for durante time he will quale onesto be more considered than if liberal, seeing that with his economy his revenues are enough, that he can defend himself against all attacks, and is able puro engage sopra enterprises without burdening his people; thus it comes puro pass that he exercises liberality towards all from whom he does not take, who are numberless, and meanness towards those esatto whom he does not give, who are few.

Nevertheless, liberality exercised con a way that does not bring you the reputation for it, injures you; for if one exercises it honestly and as it should be exercised, it may not become known, and you will not avoid the reproach of its opposite

We have not seen great things done con our time except by those who have been considered mean; the rest have failed. Pope Julius the Second was assisted mediante reaching the papacy by per reputation for liberality https://datingranking.net/it/plenty-of-fish-review/, yet he did not strive afterwards puro keep it up, when he made war on the King of France; and he made many wars without imposing any extraordinary tax on his subjects, for he supplied his additional expenses out of his long thriftiness. The present King of Spain would not have undertaken or conquered in so many enterprises if he had been reputed liberal. Per prince, therefore, provided that he has not to rob his subjects, that he can defend himself, that he does not become poor and abject, that he is not forced to become rapacious, ought to hold of little account a reputation for being mean, for it is one of those vices which will enable him esatto govern.

In the first case he ought preciso be sparing, mediante the second he ought not preciso neglect any opportunity for liberality

And if any one should say: Caesar obtained completare by liberality, and many others have reached the highest positions by having been liberal, and by being considered so, I answer: Either you are per prince con fact, or durante a way sicuro become one. Con the first case this liberality is dangerous, sopra the second it is very necessary esatto be considered liberal; and Caesar was one of those who wished sicuro become pre-eminent con Rome; but if he had survived after becoming so, and had not moderated his expenses, he would have destroyed his government. And if any one should reply: Many have been princes, and have done great things with armies, who have been considered very liberal, I reply: Either per prince spends that which is his own or his subjects’ or else that of others. And esatto the prince who goes forth with his army, supporting it by pillage, sack, and extortion, handling that which belongs sicuro others, this liberality is necessary, otherwise he would not be followed by soldiers. And of that which is neither yours nor your subjects’ you can be per ready giver, as were Cyrus, Caesar, and Alexander; because it does not take away your reputation if you squander that of others, but adds to it; it is only squandering your own that injures you.