《君主论·第十九章·应当避免受轻视与憎恨》第14节
I do not wish to discuss Heliogabalus, Macrinus, or Julian, who, being thoroughly contemptible, were quickly wiped out; but I will bring this discourse to a conclusion by saying that princes in our times have this difficulty of giving inordinate satisfaction to their soldiers in a far less degree, because, notwithstanding one has to give them some indulgence, that is soon done; none of these princes have armies that are veterans in the governance and administration of provinces, as were the armies of the Roman Empire; and whereas it was then more necessary to give satisfaction to the soldiers than to the people, it is now more necessary to all princes, except the Turk and the Soldan, to satisfy the people rather the soldiers, because the people are the more powerful. From the above I have excepted the Turk, who always keeps round him twelve thousand infantry and fifteen thousand cavalry on which depend the security and strength of the kingdom, and it is necessary that, putting aside every consideration for the people, he should keep them his friends. The kingdom of the Soldan is similar; being entirely in the hands of soldiers, it follows again that, without regard to the people, he must keep them his friends. But you must note that the state of the Soldan is unlike all other principalities, for the reason that it is like the Christian pontificate, which cannot be called either an hereditary or a newly formed principality; because the sons of the old prince are not the heirs, but he who is elected to that position by those who have authority, and the sons remain only noblemen. And this being an ancient custom, it cannot be called a new principality, because there are none of those difficulties in it that are met with in new ones; for although the prince is new, the constitution of the state is old, and it is framed so as to receive him as if he were its hereditary lord.
注释摘要
马基雅维利在这里做了一个重要的古今对比，把前面长篇分析罗马皇帝成败的用意一下子收拢到他所处的时代。他毫不客气地说，像赫利奥加巴卢斯、马克里努斯和尤利安努斯这几位皇帝，根本不值得细讲，因为他们在位时间极短，完全是因为自身的可鄙而被迅速扫除的。赫利奥加巴卢斯是个少年皇帝，沉迷东方秘仪，举止荒唐到连禁卫军都无法容忍；马克里努斯只是杀了卡拉卡拉后仓促上台的前禁卫军…