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“It seems to me proper now to treat of conspiracies, being a matter of so much danger both to princes and subjects; for history teaches us that many more princes have lost their lives and their states by conspiracies than by open war.”2
“There is another and still more powerful motive that makes men conspire against their princes, and that is the desire to liberate their country from the tyranny to which it has been subjected by the prince.”3
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1. Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Complete Works of Niccolo Machiavelli: Thoughts of a Statesman, The Prince, The History of Florence, The Art of War, Diplomatic Missions, and Discources ... (6 Books With Active Table of Contents) (Kindle Locations 24302-24303). Kindle Edition.
2. Ibid., (Kindle Locations 24320-24322). Kindle Edition.
3. Ibid., (Kindle Locations 24352-24354). Kindle Edition.
Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli ... 3 May 1469 – 21 June 1527) was an Italian diplomat, philosopher, politician, historian and writer who lived during the Renaissance. He is best known for The Prince (Il Principe), written about 1513.[5] He has often been called the father of modern political philosophy and political science.[6] For many years he served as a senior official in the Florentine Republic with responsibilities in diplomatic and military affairs. He wrote comedies, carnival songs, and poetry. His personal correspondence is of high importance to historians and scholars.[7] He worked as secretary to the Second Chancery of the Republic of Florence from 1498 to 1512, when the Medici were out of power. | From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niccol%C3%B2_Machiavelli
For this blogger's view about ideas of expediency attributable to Machiavelli see: https://dejavu-times.blogspot.com/2014/02/niccolo-mockiavelli.html and consider his words as quoted in Voices: #099 ;and repeated here: Machiavelli: “I come now to the last branch of my charge: that I teach princes villainy, and how to enslave. If any man will read over my book … with impartiality and ordinary charity, he will easily perceive that it is not my intention to recommend that government or those men there described to the world, much less to teach men how to trample upon good men, and all that is sacred and venerable upon earth, laws, religion, honesty, and what not. If I have been a little too punctual in describing these monsters in all their lineaments and colours, I hope mankind will know them, the better to avoid them, my treatise being both a satire against them, and a true character of them …” , from a Letter to a Friend. From Burnham, James. The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom (p. 6). Lume Books. Kindle Edition