haunting, discomforting ghost that would not be laid. Machiavellism had
grown to be a case of conscience both to Catholic and Protestant, to
Theologian, Moralist, and Philosopher. In Spain the author, damned in
France for his despotism and popery, was as freshly and freely damned
for his civil and religious toleration. In England to the Cavaliers he
was an Atheist, to the Roundheads a Jesuit. Christina of Sweden
annotated him with enthusiasm. Frederick the Great published his
_Anti-Machiavel_ brimming with indignation, though it is impossible not
to wonder what would have become of Prussia had not the Prussian king so
closely followed in practice the precepts of the Florentine, above all
perhaps, as Voltaire observed, in the publication of the
_Anti-Machiavel_ itself. No doubt in the eighteenth century, when
monarchy was so firmly established as not to need Machiavelli, kings and
statesmen sought to clear kingship of the supposed stain he had
besmirched them with. But their reading was as little as their
misunderstanding was great, and the Florentine Secretary remained the
mysterious necromancer. It was left for Rousseau to describe the book of
this 'honnête homme et bon citoyen' as 'le livre des Républicains,' and
for Napoleon, the greatest of the author's followers if not disciples,
to draw inspiration and suggestion from his Florentine forerunner and to
justify the murder of the Due d'Enghien by a quotation from _The
Prince_. 'Mais après tout,' he said, 'un homme d'Etat est-il fait pour
être sensible? N'est-ce pas un personnage--complètement excentrique,
toujours seul d'un côté, avec le monde de l'autre?' and again 'Jugez
done s'il doit s'amuser à ménager certaines convenances de sentiments si
importantes pour le commun des hommes? Peut-il considérer les liens du
sang, les affections, les puérils ménagements de la société? Et dans la
situation où il se trouve, que d'actions séparées de l'ensemble et qu'on
blâme, quoiqu'elles doivent contribuer au grand oeuvre que tout le monde
n'aperçoit pas? ... Malheureux que vous êtes! vous retiendrez vos éloges