CONCERNINGHEREDITARYPRINCIPALITIES
Iwillleaveoutalldiscussiononrepublics, inasmuchasinanotherplaceIhavewrittenofthematlength, , anddiscusshowsuchprincipalitiesaretoberuledandpreserved.
Isayatoncetherearefewerdifficultiesinholdinghereditarystates, andthoselongaccustomedtothefamilyoftheirprince, thannewones; foritissufficientonlynottotransgressthecustomsofhisancestors, andtodealprudentlywithcircumstancesastheyarise, foraprinceofaveragepowerstomaintainhimselfinhisstate, unlesshebedeprivedofitbysomeextraordinaryandexcessiveforce; andifheshouldbesodeprivedofit, wheneveranythingsinisterhappenstotheusurper, hewillregainit.
WehaveinItaly, forexample, theDukeofFerrara, whocouldnothavewithstoodtheattacksoftheVenetiansin '84, northoseofPopeJuliusin '10, ; henceithappensthathewillbemoreloved; andunlessextraordinaryvicescausehimtobehated, itisreasonabletoexpectthathissubjectswillbenaturallywelldisposedtowardshim; andintheantiquityanddurationofhisrulethememoriesandmotivesthatmakeforchangearelost, foronechangealwaysleavesthetoothingforanother.
