Page:The Prince.djvu/205

90

begin with the first quality of which I have just spoken, I must observe that it is politic to be deemed liberal, but dangerous so to exercise your liberality as thereby to become neither feared nor respected. I will explain myself. In fact, if a prince be only liberal as far as it suits his purposes, that is to say within certain bounds, he will please but few, and will be called selfish. A prince who wishes his liberality to be boasted of, is regardless of every expence; but then, to support this reputation, he finds himself often reduced to the necessity of levying taxes on his subjects, and to recur to all kinds of fiscal resource which cannot fail to make him odious. Besides exhausting the public treasure by his prodigality, his credit is destroyed, and he runs the risk of losing his. dominions on the first reverse of fortune, his liberality having, as it always happens, made him more enemies than friends. On the other hand, he cannot retrace his steps and restore order to his finances without being charged with avarice.

Seeing therefore that a prince cannot be liberal