Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/634

 57 8 THE HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE and writers, partly because they had more sympathy with genius, partly from a concern for their own fame. They usually treated the lower classes in the city, the peasants outside the walls, and the population of conquered towns, better than had the preceding form of government, which had almost always been characterized by a limited citi- zenship. The contemporary Florentine historian, Guic- ciardini, wrote on this point: " It is better to be the subject of a prince than of a republic, for a republic keeps all its subjects under and gives no share of its greatness save to its own citizens. A prince is common to all ; one man is as much his subject as another; therefore every one can hope to be favored or employed." Although a despot who ruled well could, therefore, count upon at least the passive moral sup- port of the masses, he had to be constantly on his guard against those whom he had supplanted in office or deprived of the franchise, against influential noble families and am- bitious individuals. The air was full of conspiracies and banishments, of assassinations and imprisonments and sus- picions of poisoning. Power was too much valued for its own sake and all other considerations were subordinated to political and personal ones. This state of affairs was, at the close of our period, set forth in clear, concise, convincing, and cold-blooded style Machiavelli's by the brilliant Florentine historian and pub- The Prince licist> Ni cco i Machiavelli, in his little book, The Prince, which aimed to teach the beginner how to be a despot. That cruelty, violence, and deceit must occasion- ally be employed, he shows from classical history and recent Italian politics. He expects that his pupils in the princely art will indulge in some vices, but beseeches them at least to avoid those which are liable to cost them their thrones. A fair sample of his rules in diplomacy is the precept to ally with the weaker rather than the stronger of two war- ring states. For, should the stronger state win, it would then try to crush you too, even if you had allied with it. If the weaker wins, whether it is grateful for your aid or not, both sides will still need and value your alliance. Mach-