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I say, therefore, that the arms with which a prince defends his

state are either his own, or they are mercenaries, auxiliaries,

or mixed. Mercenaries and auxiliaries are useless and dangerous;

and if one holds his state based on these arms, he will stand

neither firm nor safe; for they are disunited, ambitious, and

without discipline, unfaithful, valiant before friends, cowardly

before enemies; they have neither the fear of God nor fidelity to

men, and destruction is deferred only so long as the attack is;

for in peace one is robbed by them, and in war by the enemy. The

fact is, they have no other attraction or reason for keeping the

field than a trifle of stipend, which is not sufficient to make

them willing to die for you.