Niccolò Machiavelli · Complete work
Dedication
Dedication of 27. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Italian
Sogliono il più delle volte coloro che desiderano acquistare grazia appresso un Principe, farsegli innanzi con quelle cose, che tra le loro abbino più care, o delle quali vegghino lui più dilettarsi; donde si vede molte volte esser loro presentati cavalli, arme, drappi d’oro, pietre preziose e simili ornamenti, degni della grandezza di quelli. Desiderando io adunque offerirmi alla Vostra Magnificenza con qualche testimone della servitù mia verso di quella, non ho trovato, tra la mia suppellettile, cosa, quale io abbia più cara, o tanto stimi, quanto la cognizione delle azioni degli uomini grandi, imparata da me con una lunga sperienza delle cose moderne, ed una continova lezione delle antiche, la quale avendo io con gran diligenza lungamente escogitata ed esaminata, ed ora in uno piccolo volume ridotta, mando alla Magnificenza Vostra. E benchè io giudichi questa opera indegna della presenza di quella; nondimeno confido assai, che per sua umanità gli debba essere accetta, considerato che da me non li possa essere fatto maggior dono, che darle facultà a poter in brevissimo tempo intendere tutto quello, che io in tanti anni, e con tanti miei disagi e pericoli ho cognosciuto ed inteso: la quale opera io non ho ornata nè ripiena di clausule ampie, o di parole ampollose o magnifiche, o di qualunque altro lenocinio o ornamento estrinseco, con li quali molti sogliono le lor cose discrivere ed ornare; perchè io ho voluto o che veruna cosa la onori, o che solamente la verità della materia, e la gravità del soggetto la faccia grata. Nè voglio sia riputata presunzione, se uno uomo di basso ed infimo stato ardisce discorrere e regolare i governi de’ Principi; perchè così come coloro che disegnano i paesi, si pongono bassi nel piano a considerare la natura de’ monti e de’ luoghi alti, e per considerare quella de’ bassi si pongono alti sopra i monti; similmente, a cognoscer bene la natura de’ popoli bisogna esser Principe, ed a cognoscer bene quella de’ Principi conviene essere popolare. Pigli adunque Vostra Magnificenza questo piccolo dono con quello animo che io lo mando; il quale se da quella fia diligentemente considerato e letto, vi cognoscerà dentro uno estremo mio desiderio, che ella pervenga a quella grandezza che la fortuna, e le altre sue qualità le promettono. E se Vostra Magnificenza dallo apice della sua altezza qualche volta volgerà gli occhi in questi luoghi bassi, cognoscerà, quanto indegnamente io sopporti una grande e continova malignità di fortuna.
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Italian text of all 26 chapters and the dedication for fidelity, Machiavelli’s force and cadence, and modern clarity.
Those who wish to win the favor of a Prince most often come before him bearing what they hold most dear among their possessions, or what they see gives him the greatest pleasure. Thus one often sees him presented with horses, arms, cloth of gold, precious stones, and similar ornaments worthy of his greatness. Wishing, then, to offer myself to Your Magnificence with some token of my devotion to you, I have found among my possessions nothing dearer to me, or more highly prized, than my knowledge of the deeds of great men, acquired through long experience of affairs in our own time and constant study of those of antiquity. Having considered and examined this knowledge with great diligence over many years, and now condensed it into a small volume, I send it to Your Magnificence. And though I judge this work unworthy of your presence, I trust nonetheless that your kindness will make it welcome, since I can give you no greater gift than the means to understand in a very short time all that I have come to know and understand over so many years and through so many hardships and dangers. I have neither adorned this work nor filled it with elaborate periods, with grand and inflated words, or with any other extrinsic embellishment or allure of the kind with which many customarily describe and dress up their works; for I have wished either that nothing should adorn it or that only the truth of its matter and the gravity of its subject should commend it. Nor do I wish it thought presumptuous that a man of low and humble station should dare to discuss and lay down rules for the government of Princes. For just as those who draw maps of countries stand low on the plain to observe the nature of mountains and high places, and climb high on the mountains to observe the nature of the lowlands, so to know well the nature of peoples one must be a Prince, and to know well the nature of Princes one must be a man of the people. Let Your Magnificence, then, receive this small gift in the spirit in which I send it. If you consider and read it carefully, you will discover in it my deepest desire: that you attain the greatness that fortune and your other qualities promise you. And if Your Magnificence, from the summit of your lofty station, should sometimes turn your eyes toward these low places, you will see how undeservedly I bear the great and unrelenting malice of fortune.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the Italian text of all 26 chapters and the dedication.
Most people who want to win favor with a Prince come before him with the things they value most, or the things they see that he likes best. That is why Princes are often given horses, weapons, gold cloth, precious stones, and other fine things worthy of their rank. I want to offer Your Magnificence some sign of my service to you. Of everything I own, nothing is dearer to me, or more valuable in my eyes, than what I know about the actions of great men. I learned this from long experience of events in our own time and from constant reading about the past. I have spent a long time carefully thinking through and examining this knowledge. Now I have put it into a small book and send it to Your Magnificence. I judge this work unworthy of your attention. Even so, I trust that your kindness will lead you to accept it. I cannot give you a greater gift than the chance to understand in a very short time everything I have learned over many years, through so much hardship and danger. I have not dressed up this work with long passages, grand or inflated words, or any of the other outward flourishes that many writers use to present and decorate their work. I wanted nothing to embellish it, so that only the truth of its contents and the importance of its subject might make it welcome. Nor should it seem presumptuous for a man of low and humble standing to dare to discuss and lay down rules for the government of Princes. People who draw maps stand on low ground to see what mountains and high places are like; to see what low places are like, they stand high in the mountains. In the same way, a Prince must know the people well, while an ordinary citizen is best placed to know Princes. So please accept this small gift, Your Magnificence, in the spirit in which I send it. If you read it and consider it carefully, you will see in it my deepest wish: that you reach the greatness promised to you by fortune and by your other qualities. And if Your Magnificence ever looks down from the height of your position to the low place where I am, you will see how undeservedly I suffer from a great and constant run of bad fortune.