The Prince

by Niccolò Machiavelli · written 1513, published 1532

W. K. Marriott's translation, 1908. 28 parts, about 32,875 words, 2 hours of reading. Source edition.

Passages the guide marks

A prince who wants to keep his position must learn how not to be good, and must use that knowledge or hold it back as necessity requires.
Chapter 15 · Read it in XV: Concerning Things for Which Men, and Especially Princes, Are Praised or Blamed
Because men are ungrateful and break their bonds the moment it profits them, fear, which a prince controls, is a safer foundation than love, which he does not.
Chapter 17 · Read it in Chapter XVII
Fortune is like a river in flood, destroying whatever stands in its path; but dykes can be built in calm weather, and where they exist the flood does less harm.
Chapter 25 · Read it in XXV: What Fortune Can Effect in Human Affairs and How to Withstand Her
A prince must know how to use the fox as well as the lion, since force alone cannot detect traps and cunning alone cannot drive off wolves.
Chapter 18 · Read it in XVIII: Concerning the Way in Which Princes Should Keep Faith

About this text

Public domain in the United States; the Standard Ebooks edition is released under CC0. Translated by W. K. Marriott. It is not the edition the programs assign; the guide names that one, and the buy links there point at it.

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