Pagina 113 di 310

Because there is nothing proportionate between the armed and the

unarmed; and it is not reasonable that he who is armed should

yield obedience willingly to him who is unarmed, or that the

unarmed man should be secure among armed servants. Because, there

being in the one disdain and in the other suspicion, it is not

possible for them to work well together. And therefore a prince

who does not understand the art of war, over and above the other

misfortunes already mentioned, cannot be respected by his

soldiers, nor can he rely on them. He ought never, therefore, to

have out of his thoughts this subject of war, and in peace he

should addict himself more to its exercise than in war; this he

can do in two ways, the one by action, the other by study.