feat_summary_path: finished_summaries/sparknotes/The Prince/section_8_part_2.txt
feat_book_id: The Prince.chapter xxi
feat_summary_id: chapter xxi
feat_summary: {"name": "Chapter XXI", "url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20210303115306/https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/prince/section9/", "summary": "What a Prince Must Do to Be Esteemed Great enterprises and noble examples are two ways for a prince to earn prestige. Examples of great campaigns include those of King Ferdinand of Spain, who skillfully used his military to attack Granada, Africa, Italy, and France. These campaigns focused his people's attention and prevented attacks against Ferdinand. Nobility can be achieved by the grand public display of rewards and punishments. Above all, princes should win a reputation for being men of outstanding ability. A prince can also win prestige by declaring himself an ally of one side of a conflict. Neutrality alienates both the victor and the loser. The victor sees the neutral prince as a doubtful friend; the loser sees the neutral prince as weak coward. Someone who is not your friend will always request that you remain neutral, while a true friend will always ask you for your armed support. A prince can escape short-term danger through neutrality, but at the cost of long-term grief. Instead, a prince should boldly declare support for one side. If the prince allies with someone stronger than himself, and this ally wins, then the prince protects himself through the alliance, because the victor will feel an obligation to the prince. If this stronger ally loses, at least the prince will win the protection and shelter of the ally. If the prince is stronger than either opponent, an alliance essentially means the destruction of one side through the help of another. If possible, a prince should avoid siding with an ally whose power is greater than his own. Victory in this situation will only put the prince at mercy of that ally. However, sometimes such an alliance is unavoidable. Because of these instances, a prince should never believe that a completely safe course exists. Instead, he should assess the risks presented by all options and choose the least risky course of action. A prudent prince can assess threats and accept the lesser evil. A prince should encourage his citizens to excel in their occupations, and live their lives in peace. Thus, a prince should never discourage or excessively tax private acquisition or prosperous commerce. Instead, a prince should reward those who contribute to the overall prosperity of the state. Such rewards might include annual city-wide festivals and personal visits with guilds and family groups", "analysis": ""}
text: 
  Nothing makes a prince so much esteemed as great enterprises and setting
  a fine example. We have in our time Ferdinand of Aragon, the present
  King of Spain. He can almost be called a new prince, because he has
  risen, by fame and glory, from being an insignificant king to be the
  foremost king in Christendom; and if you will consider his deeds
  you will find them all great and some of them extraordinary. In the
  beginning of his reign he attacked Granada, and this enterprise was the
  foundation of his dominions. He did this quietly at first and without
  any fear of hindrance, for he held the minds of the barons of Castile
  occupied in thinking of the war and not anticipating any innovations;
  thus they did not perceive that by these means he was acquiring power
  and authority over them. He was able with the money of the Church and
  of the people to sustain his armies, and by that long war to lay the
  foundation for the military skill which has since distinguished him.
  Further, always using religion as a plea, so as to undertake greater
  schemes, he devoted himself with pious cruelty to driving out and
  clearing his kingdom of the Moors; nor could there be a more admirable
  example, nor one more rare. Under this same cloak he assailed Africa,
  he came down on Italy, he has finally attacked France; and thus his
  achievements and designs have always been great, and have kept the minds
  of his people in suspense and admiration and occupied with the issue of
  them. And his actions have arisen in such a way, one out of the other,
  that men have never been given time to work steadily against him.
  
  Again, it much assists a prince to set unusual examples in internal
  affairs, similar to those which are related of Messer Bernabo da Milano,
  who, when he had the opportunity, by any one in civil life doing some
  extraordinary thing, either good or bad, would take some method of
  rewarding or punishing him, which would be much spoken about. And a
  prince ought, above all things, always endeavour in every action to gain
  for himself the reputation of being a great and remarkable man.
  
  A prince is also respected when he is either a true friend or a
  downright enemy, that is to say, when, without any reservation, he
  declares himself in favour of one party against the other; which course
  will always be more advantageous than standing neutral; because if two
  of your powerful neighbours come to blows, they are of such a character
  that, if one of them conquers, you have either to fear him or not.
  In either case it will always be more advantageous for you to declare
  yourself and to make war strenuously; because, in the first case, if
  you do not declare yourself, you will invariably fall a prey to
  the conqueror, to the pleasure and satisfaction of him who has been
  conquered, and you will have no reasons to offer, nor anything to
  protect or to shelter you. Because he who conquers does not want
  doubtful friends who will not aid him in the time of trial; and he who
  loses will not harbour you because you did not willingly, sword in hand,
  court his fate.
  
  Antiochus went into Greece, being sent for by the Aetolians to drive
  out the Romans. He sent envoys to the Achaeans, who were friends of
  the Romans, exhorting them to remain neutral; and on the other hand the
  Romans urged them to take up arms. This question came to be discussed in
  the council of the Achaeans, where the legate of Antiochus urged them to
  stand neutral. To this the Roman legate answered: "As for that which has
  been said, that it is better and more advantageous for your state not
  to interfere in our war, nothing can be more erroneous; because by
  not interfering you will be left, without favour or consideration, the
  guerdon of the conqueror." Thus it will always happen that he who is not
  your friend will demand your neutrality, whilst he who is your friend
  will entreat you to declare yourself with arms. And irresolute princes,
  to avoid present dangers, generally follow the neutral path, and are
  generally ruined. But when a prince declares himself gallantly in favour
  of one side, if the party with whom he allies himself conquers, although
  the victor may be powerful and may have him at his mercy, yet he is
  indebted to him, and there is established a bond of amity; and men are
  never so shameless as to become a monument of ingratitude by oppressing
  you. Victories after all are never so complete that the victor must not
  show some regard, especially to justice. But if he with whom you ally
  yourself loses, you may be sheltered by him, and whilst he is able he
  may aid you, and you become companions on a fortune that may rise again.
  
  In the second case, when those who fight are of such a character that
  you have no anxiety as to who may conquer, so much the more is it
  greater prudence to be allied, because you assist at the destruction
  of one by the aid of another who, if he had been wise, would have saved
  him; and conquering, as it is impossible that he should not do with your
  assistance, he remains at your discretion. And here it is to be noted
  that a prince ought to take care never to make an alliance with one
  more powerful than himself for the purposes of attacking others, unless
  necessity compels him, as is said above; because if he conquers you are
  at his discretion, and princes ought to avoid as much as possible being
  at the discretion of any one. The Venetians joined with France against
  the Duke of Milan, and this alliance, which caused their ruin, could
  have been avoided. But when it cannot be avoided, as happened to the
  Florentines when the Pope and Spain sent armies to attack Lombardy, then
  in such a case, for the above reasons, the prince ought to favour one of
  the parties.
  
  Never let any Government imagine that it can choose perfectly safe
  courses; rather let it expect to have to take very doubtful ones,
  because it is found in ordinary affairs that one never seeks to avoid
  one trouble without running into another; but prudence consists in
  knowing how to distinguish the character of troubles, and for choice to
  take the lesser evil.
  
  A prince ought also to show himself a patron of ability, and to honour
  the proficient in every art. At the same time he should encourage his
  citizens to practise their callings peaceably, both in commerce and
  agriculture, and in every other following, so that the one should not be
  deterred from improving his possessions for fear lest they be taken away
  from him or another from opening up trade for fear of taxes; but the
  prince ought to offer rewards to whoever wishes to do these things and
  designs in any way to honour his city or state.
  
  Further, he ought to entertain the people with festivals and spectacles
  at convenient seasons of the year; and as every city is divided into
  guilds or into societies,(*) he ought to hold such bodies in esteem, and
  associate with them sometimes, and show himself an example of courtesy
  and liberality; nevertheless, always maintaining the majesty of his
  rank, for this he must never consent to abate in anything.
  
       (*) "Guilds or societies," "in arti o in tribu." "Arti" were
       craft or trade guilds, cf. Florio: "Arte . . . a whole
       company of any trade in any city or corporation town." The
       guilds of Florence are most admirably described by Mr
       Edgcumbe Staley in his work on the subject (Methuen, 1906).
       Institutions of a somewhat similar character, called
       "artel," exist in Russia to-day, cf. Sir Mackenzie Wallace's
       "Russia," ed. 1905: "The sons . . . were always during the
       working season members of an artel. In some of the larger
       towns there are artels of a much more complex kind--
       permanent associations, possessing large capital, and
       pecuniarily responsible for the acts of the individual
       members." The word "artel," despite its apparent similarity,
       has, Mr Aylmer Maude assures me, no connection with "ars" or
       "arte." Its root is that of the verb "rotisya," to bind
       oneself by an oath; and it is generally admitted to be only
       another form of "rota," which now signifies a "regimental
       company." In both words the underlying idea is that of a
       body of men united by an oath. "Tribu" were possibly gentile
       groups, united by common descent, and included individuals
       connected by marriage. Perhaps our words "sects" or "clans"
       would be most appropriate.
  
  
  
  
feat_summary_name: Chapter XXI
target: What a Prince Must Do to Be Esteemed Great enterprises and noble examples are two ways for a prince to earn prestige. Examples of great campaigns include those of King Ferdinand of Spain, who skillfully used his military to attack Granada, Africa, Italy, and France. These campaigns focused his people's attention and prevented attacks against Ferdinand. Nobility can be achieved by the grand public display of rewards and punishments. Above all, princes should win a reputation for being men of outstanding ability. A prince can also win prestige by declaring himself an ally of one side of a conflict. Neutrality alienates both the victor and the loser. The victor sees the neutral prince as a doubtful friend; the loser sees the neutral prince as weak coward. Someone who is not your friend will always request that you remain neutral, while a true friend will always ask you for your armed support. A prince can escape short-term danger through neutrality, but at the cost of long-term grief. Instead, a prince should boldly declare support for one side. If the prince allies with someone stronger than himself, and this ally wins, then the prince protects himself through the alliance, because the victor will feel an obligation to the prince. If this stronger ally loses, at least the prince will win the protection and shelter of the ally. If the prince is stronger than either opponent, an alliance essentially means the destruction of one side through the help of another. If possible, a prince should avoid siding with an ally whose power is greater than his own. Victory in this situation will only put the prince at mercy of that ally. However, sometimes such an alliance is unavoidable. Because of these instances, a prince should never believe that a completely safe course exists. Instead, he should assess the risks presented by all options and choose the least risky course of action. A prudent prince can assess threats and accept the lesser evil. A prince should encourage his citizens to excel in their occupations, and live their lives in peace. Thus, a prince should never discourage or excessively tax private acquisition or prosperous commerce. Instead, a prince should reward those who contribute to the overall prosperity of the state. Such rewards might include annual city-wide festivals and personal visits with guilds and family groups