If moralists are already angry with our author, I fear the chapter, whether princes ought to be faithful to their engagements, will not restore him to their favour; for he expressly declares, that a prudent prince cannot and ought not to keep his word, except when he can do it without injury to himself, and when the circumstances under which he contracted the engagement still subsist.
I refer the reader to the chapter itself for the reasons of this advice, which he deduces from the wickedness of mankind; and says, that the prince succeeds best who covers himself with the fox's skin. This is a system which has been adopted in all ages; and Buonaparte is a great adept in it, only he generally contrives a tolerable pretext for his want of faith towards an ally[1], which more "vigorous" politicians in their haste overlook, or one of the greatest instances of bad faith and perfidy towards an ally ever displayed would not
- ↑ Vide Reflections on Livy, lib. 1, ch. 9.
