The Prince Questions

A prince should take a stand if neighbors come to blows. Neutrality is not the way to go. If the neighbors are powerful, then the victor will invariably hate you if you were neutral; if the neighbors are weak, then you find yourself in an ideal position to render a state indebted to you by taking its side. Internally, a prince should reward the talents and endeavors of his subjects. He should encourage their work, should not confiscate holdings (as Machiavelli has argued before), should entertain the people with “festivals and spectacles,” and should show himself attentive to their needs while never diminishing his dignity.