Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius. Niccolò Machiavelli

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Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius - Niccolò Machiavelli

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CHAPTER XXXVIII.— Of the Qualities of a Captain in whom his Soldiers. can confide.

       CHAPTER XXXIX.— That a Captain should have good knowledge of Places.

       CHAPTER XL.— That Fraud is fair in War.

       CHAPTER XLI.— That our Country is to be defended by Honour or by. Dishonour; and in either way is well defended.

       CHAPTER XLII.— That Promises made on Compulsion are not to be. observed.

       CHAPTER XLIII.— That Men born in the same Province retain through all. Times nearly the same Character.

       CHAPTER XLIV.— That where ordinary methods fail, Hardihood and Daring. often succeed.

       CHAPTER XLV.— Whether in battle it is better to await and repel the. Enemy's attack, or to anticipate it by an impetuous onset.

       CHAPTER XLVI.— How the Characteristics of Families come to be. perpetuated.

       CHAPTER XLVII.— That love of his Country should lead a good Citizen to. forget private Wrongs.

       CHAPTER XLVIII.— That on finding an Enemy make what seems a grave. blunder, we should suspect some fraud to lurk behind.

       CHAPTER XLIX.— That a Commonwealth to preserve its Freedom has constant. need of new Ordinances. Of the services in respect of which Quintius. Fabius received the surname of Maximus.

      BOOK I.

      PREFACE

      CHAPTER

      I. Of the beginnings of Cities in general, and in particular of that of

       Rome

      II. Of the various kinds of Government; and to which of them the Roman

       Commonwealth belonged

      III. Of the accidents which led in Rome to the creation of Tribunes of the People, whereby the Republic was made more perfect

      IV. That the dissensions between the Senate and Commons of Rome made

       Rome free and powerful

      V. Whether the guardianship of public freedom is safer in the hands of the Commons or of the Nobles; and whether those who seek to acquire power, or they who seek to maintain it, are the greater cause of commotions

      VI. Whether it was possible in Rome to contrive such a Government as would have composed the differences between the Commons and the Senate

      VII. That to preserve liberty in a State, there must exist the right to accuse

      VIII. That calumny is as hurtful in a Commonwealth as the power to accuse is useful

      IX. That to give new institutions to a Commonwealth, or to reconstruct old institutions on an entirely new basis, must be the work of one Man

      X. That in proportion as the founder of a Kingdom or Commonwealth merits praise, he who founds a Tyranny deserves blame

      XI. Of the Religion of the Romans

      XII. That it is of much moment to make account of Religion; and that

       Italy, through the Roman Church, being wanting therein, has been ruined

      XIII. Of the use the Romans made of Religion in giving institutions to their City; in carrying out their enterprises; and in quelling tumults

      XIV. That the Romans interpreted the auspices to meet the occasion; and made a prudent show of observing the rites of Religion even when forced to disregard them; and any who rashly slighted Religion they punished

      XV. How the Samnites, as a last resource in their broken fortunes, had recourse to Religion

      XVI. That a People accustomed to live under a Prince, if by any accident it become free, can hardly preserve that freedom

      XVII. That a corrupt People obtaining freedom can hardly preserve it

      XVIII. How a free Government existing in a corrupt City may be preserved, or not existing may be created

      XIX. After a strong Prince a weak Prince may maintain himself: but after one weak Prince no Kingdom can stand a second

      XX. That the consecutive reigns of two valiant Princes produce great results: and that well-ordered Commonwealths are assured of a succession of valiant Rulers by whom their power and growth are rapidly extended

      XXI. That it is a great reproach to a Prince or to a Commonwealth to be without a National Army

      XXII. What is to be noted in the combat of the three Roman Horatii and the three Alban Curiatii

      XXIII. That we should never hazard our whole fortunes, where we put not forth our entire strength; for which reason to guard a defile is often hurtful

      XXIV. That well-ordered States always provide rewards and punishments for their Citizens; and never set off deserts against misdeeds

      XXV. That he who would reform the institutions of a free State, must retain at least the semblance of old ways

      XXVI. That a new Prince in a city or province of which he has taken possession, ought to make everything new

      XXVII. That Men seldom know how to be wholly good or wholly bad

      XXVIII. Whence it came that the Romans were less ungrateful to their citizens than were the Athenians

      XXIX. Whether a People or a Prince is the more ungrateful

      XXX. How Princes and Commonwealths may avoid the vice of ingratitude; and how a Captain or Citizen may escape being undone by it

      XXXI. That the Roman Captains were never punished with extreme severity for misconduct; and where loss resulted to the Republic merely through their ignorance or want of judgment, were not punished at all

      XXXII. That a Prince or Commonwealth should not defer benefits until they are forced to yield them

      XXXIII. When a mischief has grown up in, or

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