Reading from Machiavelli's The Prince
Description
Vocal Characteristics
Language
EnglishVoice Age
Middle Aged (35-54)Accents
North American (General)Transcript
Note: Transcripts are generated using speech recognition software and may contain errors.
upon this, The 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 I 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 gray 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