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Hence it is necessary for a prince wishing to hold his own to

know how to do wrong, and to make use of it or not according to

necessity.

Therefore, putting on one side imaginary things concerning a

prince, and discussing those which are real, I say that all men

when they are spoken of, and chiefly princes for being more

highly placed, are remarkable for some of those qualities which

bring them either blame or praise; and thus it is that one is

reputed liberal, another miserly, using a Tuscan term (because an

avaricious person in our language is still he who desires to

possess by robbery, whilst we call one miserly who deprives

himself too much of the use of his own); one is reputed generous,

one rapacious; one cruel, one compassionate; one faithless,

another faithful; one effeminate and cowardly, another bold and

brave; one affable, another haughty; one lascivious, another

chaste; one sincere, another cunning; one hard, another easy; one

grave, another frivolous; one religious, another unbelieving, and

the like.