2. There never was a new prince who has disarmed his subjects; rather when he has found them disarmed he has always armed them, because, by arming them, those arms become yours, those men who were distrusted become faithful, and those who were faithful are kept so, and your subjects become your adherents.
Non fu mai, adunque, che uno principe nuovo disarmassi e' sua sudditi; anzi, quando li ha trovati disarmati, li ha sempre armati; perché, armandosi, quelle arme diventono tua, diventono fedeli quelli che ti sono sospetti, e quelli che erano fedeli si mantengono e di sudditi si fanno tua partigiani.