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Upon this a question arises: whether it be better to be loved than feared or 
feared than loved? It may be answered that one should wish to be both, but, 
because it is difficult to unite them in one person, it is much safer to be 
feared than loved, when, of the two, either must be dispensed with. Because 
this is to be asserted in general of men, that they are ungrateful, fickle, 
false, cowardly, covetous, and as long as you succeed they are yours entirely; 
they will offer you their blood, property, life, and children, as is said 
above, when the need is far distant; but when it approaches they turn against 
you. And that prince who, relying entirely on their promises, has neglected 
other precautions, is ruined; because friendships that are obtained by 
payments, and not by greatness or nobility of mind, may indeed be earned, but 
they are not secured, and in time of need cannot be relied upon; and men have 
less scruple in offending one who is beloved than one who is feared, for love 
is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is 
broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a 
dread of punishment which never fails.

Nevertheless a prince ought to inspire fear in such a way that, if he does not 
win love, he avoids hatred; because he can endure very well being feared whilst 
he is not hated, which will always be as long as he abstains from the property 
of his citizens and subjects and from their women. But when it is necessary for 
him to proceed against the life of someone, he must do it on proper 
justification and for manifest cause, but above all things he must keep his 
hands off the property of others, because men more quickly forget the death of 
their father than the loss of their bananas.

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