The Snake of Florence

Open thy throat, O Muse!  Pour forth thy golden voice!  Let not thy honey-sweet tones be soured, even when they sing of such a man as Niccolo Machiavelli!

Many have read his famous work, The Prince, a small book detailing how Machiavelli thought an ideal ruler should lead and think, based on the past.  Machiavelli, that serpent of lies who would be a match for the Great Serpent himself, hisses many words that can only shock anyone with decent feeling towards their fellow man.  It boggles the brain that any man could be so devious, and yet sleep easily in the dark of the night, without the horrors of their thoughts haunting their dreams.  But above and beyond, there is one chapter that raises my eyebrows, and turns my blood to water, to think that any man could be so devious.  By this I speak of XVIII: The Way Princes Should Keep Their Word.

In this small collection of paper and ink, the serpent says that "...a prudent prince cannot and should not keep his word when to do so would go against his interest, or when the reasons that made him pledge it no longer apply.  Doubtless if all men were good, this rule would be bad; but since they are a sad lot, and keep no faith with you, you in your turn are under no obligation to keep it with them" (page 48).  Machiavelli is sadly cynical in his opinion of mankind, not unlike the future philosopher Thomas Hobbes.  But even though this writer has her own cynical views of mankind, she does not like to think them at so fallen a state as that described by the serpent.  I like to think there is at least some level of goodness and truth in humanity; though not to the extent of Pollyanna, thank the gods.

Just as outrageous, this cunning snake claims that for a prince to be a hypocrite is an acceptable, and even desirable, state of being.  "It is good to appear merciful, truthful, humane, sincere, and religious; it is good to be so in reality.  But you must keep your mind so disposed that, in case of need, you can turn to the exact contrary" (page 48).  Oh, the travesty!  Will it never end?!  Sadly, if this time and age is anything to go by, no.  In American society, when wishing to become president (the closest thing we have to prince), a man or woman tells the people whatever they want to hear, to encourage their votes and respect.  And after the election, no sooner do they take the presidency than all their promises are thrown away like so much refuse, or else only the ones supporting whatever political party the president belongs to are carried out.  They don't care to keep promises that do not suit them, and can lie as much as they feel necessary to get the vote.  It's too much to hope that they all have read and been influenced by Machiavelli; it must be a sad part of the state of human nature.

The Muse is tired now.  She has sung her last song.  At least, for the time being.