Niccolò Machiavelli：The Prince, Excerpt 4

We have in Italy, for example, the Duke of Ferrara, who could not have withstood the attacks of the Venetians in ’84, nor those of Pope Julius in ’10, unless he had been long established in his dominions. For the hereditary prince has less cause and less necessity to offend; hence it happens that he will be more loved; and unless extraordinary vices cause him to be hated, it is reasonable to expect that his subjects will be naturally well disposed towards him; and in the antiquity and duration of his rule the memories and motives that make for change are lost, for one change always leaves the toothing for another.

Source： https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1232
Locator：Excerpt 4 · Verified：2026-10-19 · Verification：Short excerpt

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