CHAPTERXX
AREFORTRESSES，ANDMANYOTHERTHINGSTOWHICHPRINCES
OFTENRESORT，ADVANTAGEOUSORHURTFUL？
1。Someprinces，soastoholdsecurelythestate，havedisarmedtheirsubjects;othershavekepttheirsubjecttownsdistractedbyfactions;othershavefosteredenmitiesagainstthemselves;othershavelaidthemselvesouttogainoverthosewhomtheydistrustedinthebeginningoftheirgovernments;somehavebuiltfortresses;somehaveoverthrownanddestroyedthem。Andalthoughonecannotgiveafinaljudgmentonallofthesethingsunlessonepossessestheparticularsofthosestatesinwhichadecisionhastobemade，neverthelessIwillspeakascomprehensivelyasthematterofitselfwilladmit。
2。Thereneverwasanewprincewhohasdisarmedhissubjects;ratherwhenhehasfoundthemdisarmedhehasalwaysarmedthem，because，byarmingthem，thosearmsbecomeyours，thosemenwhoweredistrustedbecomefaithful，andthosewhowerefaithfularekeptso，andyoursubjectsbecomeyouradherents。Andwhereasallsubjectscannotbearmed，yetwhenthosewhomyoudoarmarebenefited，theotherscanbehandledmorefreely，andthisdifferenceintheirtreatment，whichtheyquiteunderstand，makestheformeryourdependents，andthelatter，consideringittobenecessarythatthosewhohavethemostdangerandserviceshouldhavethemostreward，excuseyou。Butwhenyoudisarmthem，youatonceoffendthembyshowingthatyoudistrustthem，eitherforcowardiceorforwantofloyalty，andeitheroftheseopinionsbreedshatredagainstyou。Andbecauseyoucannotremainunarmed，itfollowsthatyouturntomercenaries，whichareofthecharacteralreadyshown;eveniftheyshouldbegoodtheywouldnotbesufficienttodefendyouagainstpowerfulenemiesanddistrustedsubjects。Therefore，asIhavesaid，anewprinceinanewprincipalityhasalwaysdistributedarms。Historiesarefullofexamples。Butwhenaprinceacquiresanewstate，whichheaddsasaprovincetohisoldone，thenitisnecessarytodisarmthemenofthatstate，exceptthosewhohavebeenhisadherentsinacquiringit;