CHAPTER II

Concerning Hereditary Principalities

I WILL leave out all discussion on republics, inasmuch as in another place I have written of them at length, and will address myself only to principalities. In doing so I will keep to the order indicated above, and discuss how such principalities are to be ruled and preserved.

I say at once there are fewer difficulties in holding hereditary states, and those long accustomed to the family of their prince, than new ones; for it is sufficient only not to transgress the customs of his ancestors, and to deal prudently with circumstances as they arise, for a prince of average powers to maintain himself in his state, unless he be deprived of it by some extraordinary and excessive force; and if he should be so deprived of it, whenever anything sinister happens to the usurper, he will regain it.

書名既是《君主論》， Nicolo Machiavelli當然耳是將焦點放在世襲的君王。若想讀較理想國的，請看《The Discourses》，超厚的－保證您長命百壽，超複雜的－保證您到老智商盡增。本段敘述君王如何統理國家；在已世襲長久的國度中生存，是較新的國度中要容易些的。時日久了，“上有政策，下有對策”自有紋理可循。所謂改朝換代，也是原君王維持不住產業的能力，或有超越能力者篡位。像“反清復明”般，等的也是該王腐敗時，一舉光復，就可再建江山。

We have in Italy, for example, the Duke of Ferrara, who could not have withstood the attacks of the Venetians in '84, nor those of Pope Julius in '10, unless he had been long established in his dominions. For the hereditary prince has less cause and less necessity to offend; hence it happens that he will be more loved; and unless extraordinary vices cause him to be hated, it is reasonable to expect that his subjects will be naturally well disposed towards him; and in the antiquity and duration of his rule the memories and motives that make for change are lost, for one change always leaves the toothing for another.

在義大利的歷史中，Ferrara費拉拉公爵不論是1484年Venetians威尼斯人的侵略，或1510年教皇猶統二世收復教皇轄土的攻擊，費拉拉公爵仗其承襲的國防軍力和累積臣民的忠誠愛戴和向心力，將外力排除。統理的日子久了，太平盛世中人民自然不會造反。像3C產品，不斷更新就有買不完新的型別產品；動盪的時代容易波瀾迭起、百家齊鳴，像大小齒輪般一齒咬著另一齒，不斷輪轉、革新。