henry frowde oxford university press warehouse amen corner, ec

EARLY CRITICISM OF 'THE PRINCE.' 45
is divided into two or more 1; everywhere Machiavelli's work is
maimed and mutilated, though the resemblance is still clear,
and the plagiarism obvious. But what is more curious than the
way in which The Prince has been butchered, is the attempt to
re-assume throughout the old scholastic method of treatment ; a
reference to Aristotle still carries more weight with Nifo than
an argument, while Homer, Plato [Gorgias] and many others,
are pressed into the service. The qualities of the book fully
entitle it to oblivion, and Nifo is only likely to be remembered
now because he was fortunate enough to plagiarise from a great
man ; the praises which he won in his lifetime 2 have not been
repeated by posterity.
The ground has now been cleared, and we may pass to the
consideration of some of Machiavelli's most famous opponents.
Reference has already been made to Cardinal Pole's efforts to
destroy the influence of Machiavelli's works. The opposition
in his case was half-political, half-theological. It soon became,
for the time being at any rate, almost entirely theological. The
moral question of course asserted itself in some degree, but was
not yet separated from the theological aspect. The bitter
attacks upon the Papacy, and the free criticism of the actions
and characters of various Popes which are to be found in
Machiavelli's works, naturally acquired a new significance and
meaning when the spread of the Reformation threatened the
very emstence of the Papal power. Hence Papal support was
enlisted in the opposition to Machiavelli, and we have the
curious spectacle of the Papal Court formally condemning the
very works which had first appeared with the sanction and
favour of an earlier Pope.
smt,' is modelled upon Pnnclpe, cap. i, but is a pedantic expansion which Machlavelli
could never have allowed, though it would probably have commended itself
to Frederick the Great : see notes ad loc.
* For example, Bk. iii. ch. iil,'Quomodo Ludovicus Gallorum Rex in possidendo
Italico princlpatu multlfariam erraverit,' copied from part of Princlpe, cap. lii ;
and again, Bk. iii. ch. xii, ' Quo pacto m luto, et quomodo non in luto edificat,
qui in populo confidit,' Nifo's versaon of a part of Princlpe, cap. ix, t Chi fonda
m sul popolo, fonda in sul fango,' etc.
2 The following specimen is from the title-page of the ' de regnandi peritla':--
'Quid laetos faeiat populos, urbesq, beatas
Quid regem simllem reddat in orbe de%
Ecce, docet Ntphus : tu sanctum perfiee munus,
Caesar; habes eampum quo deus esse pores.'