20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

Nicolae Mavrocordat’s notes to Niccolo Machiavelli 169have conquered is to destroy it, if you don’t want it to destroy you” 13 , makesMavrocordat to put a quick label: “pernicious guidance”. Machiavelliestablishes his evil statement on the idea that the inhabitants of a free countrycan never forget the ideal of liberty and the institutions through whichliberty comes to life. As often as possible, they shall start revolts, rebellionsand revolutions. Although brought to power by the Turks, who would neverhesitate to destroy a rebel city, the humanist Nicolae Mavrocordat couldn’taccept violent destruction.The following statement “the main defence of a prince is the love of thegoverned, and not the strongholds” has a positive label “sound advice”. Asa matter of fact, the best fortress a prince can have is not to be hated by thepeople, “because no matter how many strongholds you have, they cannotsave you if the people hates you; an armed people won’t be short of foreignallies”. 14Mavrocordat’s reflection: “it’s difficult to have the command if youlack experience” goes together with the narrations of the Florentinesecretary about the lack of skill of different people who came to power byluck or by somebody else’s will. Machiavelli is convinced that such princesdon’t know how and can not keep their position. Suddenly pulled fromprivate life, the lack of intelligence and ability shall make them unableto command. They shall not be able to keep power, because they won’thave by their sides the people and the army, the two forces supposed to befaithful friends of princes. Although Nicolae Mavrocordat won the thronehelped by others, he was intelligent and capable. As high diplomat of theSublime Porte (dragoman) he knew and deciphered, from an early age, themechanism of power and administration.The idea that “a method of governance is to keep all citizens poor,in order to prevent some citizens to be able to buy the others” is tagged“wicked will”.The actions of Cesare Borgia, his crimes, the pillage of noblemenare named “infamous and abominable conduct”. Concerning the actionsof Francesco Sforza, Mavrocordat states that they shall be imitated byscoundrels with the same spirit.Machiavelli thinks that the injustices and brutalities must be done, bythe prince, at the same time. This way, the people will stand them moreeasily. Kind actions, on the other hand, must be done step by step, in orderto last longer in the minds of people. Mavrocordat reacts, stating that13Machiavelli, N. 1960. Principele, 23.14Ibidem, 80.