e can do wellwithout the same nobles; being able to make and unmake them daily; andto give or take away authority when it pleases him。Therefore; to make this point clearer; I say that the nobles ought to belooked at mainly in two ways: that is to say; they either shape theircourse in such a way as binds them entirely to your fortune; or they donot。 Those who so bind themselves; and are not rapacious; ought to behonoured and loved; those who do not bind themselves may be dealt within two ways; they may fail to do this through pusillanimity and anatural want of courage; in which case you ought to make use of them;especially of those who are of good counsel; and thus; whilst inprosperity you honour yourself; in adversity you have not to fear them。But when for their own ambitious ends they shun binding themselves; itis a token that they are giving more thought to themselves than to you;and a prince ought to guard against such; and to fear them as if theywere open enemies; because in adversity they always help to ruin him。Therefore; one who bees a prince through the favour of the peopleought to keep them friendly; and this he can easily do seeing they onlyask not to be oppressed by him。 But one who; in opposition to thepeople; bees a prince by the favour of the nobles; ought; aboveeverything; to seek to win the people over to himself; and this he mayeasily do if he takes them under his protection。 Because men; when theyreceive good from him of whom they were expecting evil; are bound moreclosely to their benefactor; thus the people quickly bee more devotedto him than if he had been raised to the principality by their favours;and the prince can win their affections in many ways; but as these varyaccording to the circumstances one cannot give fixed rules; so I omitthem; but; I