THE PRINCE
by Nicolo Machiavelli
Translated by W. K. Marriott
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CHAPTER XXII
Concerning The Secretaries Of
Princes
THE choice of servants is of no
little importance to a prince, and they are good or not according to
the discrimination of the prince. And the first opinion which one
forms of a prince, and of his understanding, is by observing the men
he has around him; and when they are capable and faithful he may
always be considered wise, because he has known how to recognize the
capable and to keep them faithful. But when they are otherwise one
cannot form a good opinion of him, for the prime error which he made
was in choosing them. (Note
1)
There were none who knew Messer
Antonio da Venafro as the servant of Pandolfo Petrucci, Prince of
Siena, who would not consider Pandolfo to be a very clever man in
having Venafro for his servant. Because there are three classes of
intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which
appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither
comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others; the first is the
most excellent, the second is good, the third is useless. Therefore,
it follows necessarily that, if Pandolfo was not in the first rank,
he was in the second, for whenever one has judgment to know good or
bad when it is said and done, although he himself may not have the
initiative, yet he can recognize the good and the bad in his
servant, and the one he can praise and the other correct; thus the
servant cannot hope to deceive him, and is kept honest. (Note
2)
But to enable a prince to form an
opinion of his servant there is one test which never falls; when you
see the servant thinking more of his own interests than of yours,
and seeking inwardly his own profit in everything, such a man will
never make a good servant, nor will you ever be able to trust him;
because he who has the state of another in his hands ought never to
think of himself, but always of his prince, and never pay any
attention to matters in which the prince is not concerned. (Note
3)
On the other to keep his servant
honest the prince ought to study him, honouring him, enriching him,
doing him kindnesses, sharing with him the honours and cares; and at
the same time let him see that he cannot stand alone, so that many
honours not make him desire more, many riches make him wish for
more, and that many cares may make him dread changes. When,
therefore, servants, and princes towards servants, are thus
disposed, they can trust each other, but when it is otherwise, the
end will always be disastrous for either one or the other. (Note
4)
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