TY  - BOOK
AU  - Machiavelli, Niccolò
TI  - The prince
T2  - Penguin Classics
SN  - 9780141442259
PY  - 2009///
CY  - 
PB  - Penguin
KW  - JC POLITICAL THEORY
KW  - Political science
KW  -  Early works to 1800
KW  - Political ethics
N2  - The Prince ; by Niccolo Machiavelli ; To the great Lorenzo Di Piero De Medici ; Those who try to obtain the favourable attention of a prince are accustomed to come before him with the ; things that they value most, or which they think the prince will most enjoy. As a result, one often sees ; expensive gifts such as horses, weapons, cloths of gold, precious stones, and similar ornaments presented ; to princes. ; Desiring therefore to present myself with some proof of my devotion towards you, I have found that the ; possession I value above all is the knowledge of the actions of great men. This knowledge has been ; acquired by long experience in contemporary affairs, and a continual study of history. I have reflected on ; this long and carefully, and I now send you these reflections presented in a small volume. ; And although I consider this work unworthy of your attention, nevertheless I trust that you will be kind ; enough to accept it. The best gift I can offer you is the opportunity of understanding in the shortest time ; all that I have learnt in so many years, and with so many troubles and dangers. I have written the work in ; a simple and direct way, so that it will be accepted not for its style but for the importance of the theme. ; I do not agree with those who regard it as a presumption if a man of low and humble condition dares to ; discuss and criticise the concerns of princes. Those who draw pictures place themselves below in the ; plain to understand the nature of the mountains and other high places, and in order to understand the ; plains place themselves upon high mountains. Similarly, to understand the nature of the people one needs ; to be a prince, and to understand princes one needs to be of the people. ; Take then, this little gift in the spirit in which I send it. If it is carefully read and considered by you, you ; will learn my extreme desire that you should attain that greatness which fortune and your other attributes ; promise. And if, my lord, from the mountain top of your greatness, you will sometimes turn your eyes to ; these lower regions, you will see how undeservedly I suffer great and continued bad fortune
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ER  -