《君主论·第九章·市民的君主国》第5节
Messer Giorgio Scali. This event is to be found in Machiavelli’s “Florentine History,” Book III. These principalities are liable to danger when they are passing from the civil to the absolute order of government, for such princes either rule personally or through magistrates. In the latter case their government is weaker and more insecure, because it rests entirely on the goodwill of those citizens who are raised to the magistracy, and who, especially in troubled times, can destroy the government with great ease, either by intrigue or open defiance; and the prince has not the chance amid tumults to exercise absolute authority, because the citizens and subjects, accustomed to receive orders from magistrates, are not of a mind to obey him amid these confusions, and there will always be in doubtful times a scarcity of men whom he can trust. For such a prince cannot rely upon what he observes in quiet times, when citizens have need of the state, because then every one agrees with him; they all promise, and when death is far distant they all wish to die for him; but in troubled times, when the state has need of its citizens, then he finds but few. And so much the more is this experiment dangerous, inasmuch as it can only be tried once. Therefore a wise prince ought to adopt such a course that his citizens will always in every sort and kind of circumstance have need of the state and of him, and then he will always find them faithful.
注释摘要
马基雅维利在此处插入注释，是因为本章末尾讨论市民君主国转型时为一种极具欺骗性的危险发出警告，而梅西尔·乔治·斯卡利正是这一危险的佛罗伦萨实例。斯卡利是十四世纪后期佛罗伦萨平民派领袖之一，在梳毛工起义被镇压之后，他借助中下层市民的支持，在1378年后的共和政权中获得了近乎独裁的影响力。但他始终没有成为一个真正意义上的君主，而是依托既有共和制下的官职与市民派系…