《君主论·第二十章·堡垒等手段是否有益》第3节
3. Our forefathers, and those who were reckoned wise, were accustomed to say that it was necessary to hold Pistoia by factions and Pisa by fortresses; and with this idea they fostered quarrels in some of their tributary towns so as to keep possession of them the more easily. This may have been well enough in those times when Italy was in a way balanced, but I do not believe that it can be accepted as a precept for to-day, because I do not believe that factions can ever be of use; rather it is certain that when the enemy comes upon you in divided cities you are quickly lost, because the weakest party will always assist the outside forces and the other will not be able to resist. The Venetians, moved, as I believe, by the above reasons, fostered the Guelph and Ghibelline factions in their tributary cities; and although they never allowed them to come to bloodshed, yet they nursed these disputes amongst them, so that the citizens, distracted by their differences, should not unite against them. Which, as we saw, did not afterwards turn out as expected, because, after the rout at Vaila, one party at once took courage and seized the state. Such methods argue, therefore, weakness in the prince, because these factions will never be permitted in a vigorous principality; such methods for enabling one the more easily to manage subjects are only useful in times of peace, but if war comes this policy proves fallacious.
注释摘要
《君主论》第二十章的这段话是在检讨一种古老的统治术：刻意在属城当中培植或维持敌对派系，让市民彼此消耗，以此防止他们联合反抗统治者。马基雅维利借祖辈的格言切入——“以派系控制皮斯托亚，以堡垒控制比萨”——随即把焦点锁定在前半句，旗帜鲜明地否定这种做法的当下价值。他的论证链条紧扣实效：一个分裂的城市一旦遭遇外敌，总是最弱的一派去投靠入侵者，而另一派独木难支，城…