A prince should desire to be considered clement & not cruel, he should not misuse this clemency. Cesare Borgia was considered cruel, his cruelty unified & restored Romagna to peace & loyalty. As long as a prince keeps his people unified & loyal he shouldn‘t mind the reproach of cruelty, because he will be more powerful than those who allow disorders to arise, such as robberies & murders. Of all princes it is impossible to avoid cruelty. A prince should be slow to believe & to act. A prince should never show fear, but should go on with prudence & humanity. Too much confidence could make him incautious, but too much distrust would make him intolerable. A prince should inspire fear, & above all things he must keep his hands off the property of
