Inthesecondcase, whenthosewhofightareofsuchacharacterthatyouhavenoanxietyastowhomayconquer, somuchthemoreisitgreaterprudencetobeallied, becauseyouassistatthedestructionofonebytheaidofanotherwho, ifhehadbeenwise, wouldhavesavedhim; andconquering, asitisimpossiblethatheshouldnotdowithyourassistance, , unlessnecessitycompelshim, asissaidabove; becauseifheconquersyouareathisdiscretion, , andthisalliance, whichcausedtheirruin, , ashappenedtotheFlorentineswhenthePopeandSpainsentarmiestoattackLombardy, theninsuchacase, fortheabovereasons, theprinceoughttofavouroneoftheparties.
NeverletanyGovernmentimaginethatitcanchooseperfectlysafecourses; ratherletitexpecttohavetotakeverydoubtfulones, becauseitisfoundinordinaryaffairsthatoneneverseekstoavoidonetroublewithoutrunningintoanother; butprudenceconsistsinknowinghowtodistinguishthecharacteroftroubles, andforchoicetotakethelesserevil.
Aprinceoughtalsotoshowhimselfapatronofability, , bothincommerceandagriculture, andineveryotherfollowing, sothattheoneshouldnotbedeterredfromimprovinghispossessionsforfearlesttheybetakenawayfromhimoranotherfromopeninguptradeforfearoftaxes; buttheprinceoughttoofferrewardstowhoeverwishestodothesethingsanddesignsinanywaytohonourhiscityorstate.
Further, heoughttoentertainthepeoplewithfestivalsandspectaclesatconvenientseasonsoftheyear; andaseverycityisdividedintoguildsorintosocieties,[1] heoughttoholdsuchbodiesinesteem, andassociatewiththemsometimes, andshowhimselfanexampleofcourtesyandliberality; nevertheless, alwaysmaintainingthemajestyofhisrank, forthishemustneverconsenttoabateinanything.
[1]"Guildsorsocieties," "inartiointribu." "Arti" werecraftortradeguilds, : "Arte...awholecompanyofanytradeinanycityorcorporationtown." TheguildsofFlorencearemostadmirablydescribedbyMrEdgcumbeStaleyinhisworkonthesubject (Methuen, 1906).Institutionsofasomewhatsimilarcharacter, called "artel," existinRussiato-day, 's "Russia," ed.1905: "Thesons...—permanentassociations, possessinglargecapital, andpecuniarilyresponsiblefortheactsoftheindividualmembers." Theword "artel," despiteitsapparentsimilarity, has, MrAylmerMaudeassuresme, noconnectionwith "ars" or "arte." Itsrootisthatoftheverb "rotisya," tobindoneselfbyanoath; anditisgenerallyadmittedtobeonlyanotherformof "rota," whichnowsignifiesa "regimentalcompany." Inbothwordstheunderlyingideaisthatofabodyofmenunitedbyanoath."Tribu" werepossiblygentilegroups, unitedbycommondescent, "sects" or "clans" wouldbemostappropriate.
