The Prince

they will not see that they had anything else from fortune than the opportunity, which gave them the matter into which they could introduce that form which seemed best to them, and without that opportunity the virtù prowess of their spirit would have been extinguished, and without that virtù prowess the opportunity would have come in vain. It was therefore necessary for Moses to find the people of Israel in Egypt enslaved and oppressed by the Egyptians, so that they, in order to escape from servitude, would be disposed to follow him. It was necessary that Romulus could not be contained in Alba, and had been exposed at his birth, for him to want to become King of Rome and founder of that fatherland. It was necessary that Cyrus found the Persians discontented with the Empire of the Medes, and the Medes soft and effeminate due to long peace. Theseus could not demonstrate his virtù prowess if he had not found the Athenians dispersed. These opportunities, therefore, made these men happy, and their excellent virtù prowess made that opportunity be recognized; whence their fatherland was ennobled by it and became most happy. Those who by virtuous paths like these become princes acquire the principality with difficulty, but with ease they hold it; and the difficulties they have in acquiring the principality arise in part from the new institutions and methods they are forced to introduce to found their State and their security. And it must be considered how there is no thing more difficult to treat, nor more doubtful to succeed in, nor more dangerous to manage, than to make oneself a leader to introduce new institutions. Because the introducer has as enemies all those who do well from the old institutions, and lukewarm defenders all those who would do well from the new ones. This lukewarmness arises partly from fear of the adversaries who have the laws in their favor, partly from the incredulity of men, who do not truly believe a new thing if they do not see a firm experience born of it. Whence it arises that whenever those who are enemies have the opportunity to assault, they do it partially, and those others defend lukewarmly, so that together with them, one is imperiled. It is therefore necessary, wishing to discuss this part well, to examine if these innovators stand by themselves, or if they depend on others, that is, if to conduct their work they need to pray, or rather can force. In the first case they always end up badly, and conduct nothing; but when they depend on their own means and can force, then it is that they rarely are imperiled. From this it arose that all the armed Prophets won, and the unarmed were ruined; because, besides the things mentioned, the nature of peoples is various, and it is easy to persuade them of a thing, but it is difficult to keep them in that persuasion. And therefore it is necessary to be ordered in such a way that when they no longer believe, one can make them believe by force.