Esteem comes from great enterprises and a fine example, not from cautious invisibility. Ferdinand of Aragon is Machiavelli's living proof: he rose from a minor king to the foremost ruler in Christendom by chaining bold deeds that kept his people in suspense and gave opponents no steady moment to unite against him.
He opened with Granada, keeping Castilian barons focused on war while he quietly gathered power and money from Church and people. Using religion as a plea, he drove out the Moors with what Machiavelli calls pious cruelty, then moved on to Africa, Italy, and France. Each action sprang from the last so men never had time to work against him. At home, princes should imitate Bernabo da Milano, who rewarded or punished any extraordinary act in civil life so the city would talk, and always seek the reputation of a great and remarkable man.
On foreign policy, neutrality between powerful neighbors is a trap. If one side wins while you stayed out, the conqueror treats you as a doubtful friend and the loser will not shelter you. The Roman legate told the Achaeans that non interference leaves a state without favor to the victor. Irresolute princes choose the neutral path to dodge present danger and are generally ruined. Declare for a side: if your ally wins, gratitude usually protects you; if he loses, you may rise again together. When you do not care who wins, alliance can still be prudent, but never join a stronger partner to attack others unless forced, as Venice did with France against Milan. When war cannot be avoided, pick a party anyway.
No government gets perfectly safe choices; prudence means taking the lesser evil. A prince should patronize ability, protect commerce and agriculture from fear of seizure or taxes, reward those who honor the city, entertain the people with festivals, esteem guilds and societies, show courtesy and liberality, and never abate the majesty of his rank.
Coming Up in Chapter 22
In the next chapter, Machiavelli turns to another crucial aspect of power and leadership A prince is judged by the people around him. The first opinion others form of his understanding comes from observing whether his servants are capable and faithful..
