Page:The Prince.djvu/215

100 be of any durable advantage. Now those animals whose forms the prince should know how to assume are the fox, and the lion. The first can but feebly defend himself against the wolf, and the other readily falls into the snares that are laid for him. From the first, a prince will learn to be dexterous, and avoid the snares; and from the other to be strong, and keep the wolves in awe. Those who despise the part of the fox, understand but little of their trade; in other words, a prudent prince cannot nor ought not to keep his word, except when he can do it without injury to himself, or when the circumstances under which he contracted the engagement still exist