CHAPTERVI
CONCERNINGNEWPRINCIPALITIESWHICHAREACQUIRED
BYONE’SOWNARMSANDABILITY
Letnoonebesurprisedif，inspeakingofentirelynewprincipalitiesasIshalldo，Iadducethehighestexamplesbothofprinceandofstate;becausemen，walkingalmostalwaysinpathsbeatenbyothers，andfollowingbyimitationtheirdeeds，areyetunabletokeepentirelytothewaysofothersorattaintothepowerofthosetheyimitate。Awisemanoughtalwaystofollowthepathsbeatenbygreatmen，andtoimitatethosewhohavebeensupreme，sothatifhisabilitydoesnotequaltheirs，atleastitwillsavourofit。Lethimactlikethecleverarcherswho，designingtohitthemarkwhichyetappearstoofardistant，andknowingthelimitstowhichthestrengthoftheirbowattains，takeaimmuchhigherthanthemark，nottoreachbytheirstrengthorarrowtosogreataheight，buttobeablewiththeaidofsohighanaimtohitthemarktheywishtoreach。
Isay，therefore，thatinentirelynewprincipalities，wherethereisanewprince，moreorlessdifficultyisfoundinkeepingthem，accordinglyasthereismoreorlessabilityinhimwhohasacquiredthestate。Now，asthefactofbecomingaprincefromaprivatestationpresupposeseitherabilityorfortune，itisclearthatoneorotherofthesethingswillmitigateinsomedegreemanydifficulties。