Machiavelli, Niccolo. 1469–1527. The Prince. Vol. 36, Part 1. The Harvard Classics

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[T]he wise man should always follow the roads that have been trodden by the great, and imitate those who have most excelled, so that if he cannot reach their perfection, he may at least acquire something of its savour.

—VI.

Niccolo
Machiavelli

Harvard Classics, Vol. 36, Part 1

The Prince

Niccolo Machiavelli

Machiavelli applies the analytic tools of science to politics to determine the best way to rule effectively.

CONTENTS

Bibliographic Record

TRANSLATED BY N.H. THOMSON

NEW YORK: P.F. COLLIER & SON COMPANY, 1909–14
NEW YORK: BARTLEBY.COM, 2001

Introductory Note Dedication [pdf]

Of the Various Kinds of Princedom, and of the Ways in Which They Are Acquired
Of Hereditary Princedoms
Of Mixed Princedoms
Why the Kingdom of Darius, Conquered by Alexander, Did Not, on Alexander’s Death, Rebel Against His Successors
How Cities or Provinces Which before Their Acquisition Have Lived under Their Own Laws Are to Be Governed
Of New Princedoms Which a Prince Acquires with His Own Arms and by Merit
Of New Princedoms Acquired by the Aid of Others and by Good Fortune
Of Those Who by Their Crimes Come to Be Princes
Of the Civil Princedom
How the Strength of All Princedoms Should Be Measured
Of Ecclesiastical Princedoms
How Many Different Kinds of Soldiers There Are, and of Mercenaries
Of Auxiliary, Mixed, and National Arms
Of the Duty of a Prince in Respect of Military Affairs
Of the Qualities in Respect of Which Men, and Most of all Princes, Are Praised or Blamed
Of Liberality and Miserliness
Of Cruelty and Clemency, and Whether it Is Better to Be Loved or Feared
How Princes Should Keep Faith
That a Prince Should Seek to Escape Contempt and Hatred
Whether Fortresses, and Certain Other Expedients to Which Princes Often Have Recourse, Are Profitable or Hurtful
How a Prince Should Bear Himself So As to Acquire Reputation
Of the Secretaries of Princes
That Flatterers Should Be Shunned
Why the Princes of Italy Have Lost Their States
What Fortune Can Effect in Human Affairs, and How She May Be Withstood
An Exhortation to Liberate Italy from the Barbarians

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