I had been delaying the publication¹ of this Political treatise, sent to me by an Italian Prince, due to being overwhelmed with the most pressing matters. Now, under the orders of that same Excellent Prince, I am making it public. The importance of the subject, and the name of Cardinal Mazarin, whose life serves as the model and standard for the ideas presented here, will add significant weight to the commonly proposed political rules. Everyone is aware of the serious storms the Eminent Prince faced and nearly succumbed to.

However, the skills he used to overcome those various tides of misfortune, which seemed certain to overwhelm him, and how he navigated through them to reach a safe harbor, are not so obvious to everyone. He achieved great things in managing a powerful Kingdom torn apart by factions during those dangerous and challenging times, and emerged from numerous difficulties with increased glory. Notably, he instilled in the mind of Louis XIV, easily the greatest of all French Kings, the principles of ruling that allowed him to vastly expand France’s borders and raise it to the height of dignity and power upon taking the throne. Extracting these lessons is difficult, but this Treatise will spare you that task.

As there is hardly any complete and perfected system of Political precepts, since the general rules can be altered by an infinity of circumstances, no simpler or more fortunate method can be provided than to make the discipline, supported only by general precepts, practical or active by adapting those general rules to the particular circumstances on which they depend. But you will more easily achieve that goal, dear Reader, if you strive to keep this illustrious example before your eyes, according to whose model today’s Politicians attempt to conform and adapt their rules using their own wisdom.

However, I wish for you to conduct yourself in a way that allows you to clearly understand the reasoning and norms that Political men typically use, not to deceive others, but to avoid being deceived yourself, by combining the two norms of the highest prudence prescribed with the general rule of fairness and justice, and the teaching of the Gospel:

Do not do to others what you would not want done to you, Be wise as Serpents, and innocent as Doves.

Enjoy this work of ours, and farewell.