صفحة 177 من 310

And this question can be reasoned thus: the prince who has more

to fear from the people than from foreigners ought to build

fortresses, but he who has more to fear from foreigners than from

the people ought to leave them alone. The castle of Milan, built

by Francesco Sforza, has made, and will make, more trouble for

the house of Sforza than any other disorder in the state. For

this reason the best possible fortress is-not to be hated by the

people, because, although you may hold the fortresses, yet they

will not save you if the people hate you, for there will never be

wanting foreigners to assist a people who have taken arms against

you.