DOes Marchiavelli favor Cruelty in Governement?

While it is not necessarily accurate to say that Machiavelli would "favor" cruelty as an end in itself, it is quite clear that he does not have reservations regarding its use as a means toward gaining or maintaining power. Remember that Machiavelli is vocal about his disdain for objective, universally-binding accounts of justice. He has very much a "might is right" approach to politics in general. For Machiavelli, "cruelty" is not morally reprehensible in any meaningful way--especially in the context of those in power.