Summary — Chapter XXIV: Why the Princes of Italy Have
Lost Their States
Machiavelli suggests that any new prince who successfully
follows the advice found in The Prince will enjoy
the stability of a hereditary prince, since men are more aware of
the present than of the past.
A number of Italian princes have lost states through
their own military faults. They fled when they should have fought,
expecting their subjects to call them back. These princes failed
because of their own incompetence and not as a result of a string
of bad luck. They took too much comfort in prosperous times, never
anticipating danger. When they were conquered, they hoped that the
people would revolt and recall them; but it is always folly to depend
upon others for security. A prince’s best defense is his own valor.
Summary — Chapter XXV: Concerning the Influence
of Fortune in Human Affairs, and the Manner in Which It Is to Be
Resisted
Although it is often thought that fortune controls human
affairs, fortune controls only half of one’s actions, while free
will determines the other half. Fortune is like a flooding river:
it is only dangerous when men have not built dykes against it beforehand.
Italy has not built dykes, and as a result it has experienced tumultuous upheaval.
Germany, Spain, and France have taken better care and have reaped
the benefits of stability.
As fortune varies, one man may succeed and another fail,
even if they both follow the same path. Times and circumstances
change, so a prince must adjust to them in order to remain successful;
however, men tend to stay on the course that has brought them success
in the past. Circumstances allowed Julius II to act impetuously,
but if he had lived longer, he would have been ruined when circumstances changed.
On the whole, however, impetuosity surpasses caution. Fortune favors
energetic youth over cautious age.
Summary — Chapter XXVI: An Exhortation to Free Italy
from the Hands of the Barbarians
Italy’s current disarray favors the emergence of a new
prince who will bring happiness to the Italian people. Until recently,
there had been a prince who seemed ordained by heaven to redeem
Italy. But a string of bad luck has prevented such an outcome.
Lorenzo de’ Medici is Italy’s best hope. If he has learned
from the great men named in The Prince, the salvation
of Italy will not be difficult. For though those men were great,
they were still only men, with no greater opportunities or grace
than Lorenzo’s own. Past wars and princes have failed to strengthen
Italy because its military system was old and defective.
