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These potentates had two principal anxieties : the one , that no foreigner should enter Italy under arms ; the other , that none of themselves should seize more territory . They have done well , not merely because his need had been relieved - - for he says to them , " You have opened my heart when I was in distress " - - but because he knew both how to abound and how to suffer need , in thee who didst strengthen him . Even to play Gandhi , I did not get a lot of time to prepare , because I was busy doing other roles too . Even so , if they suppose that the text applies to all men , there is no ground for them further to suppose that there can be an end for those of whom it is said , " Thus these shall go into everlasting punishment . When you ask me to be brief , you do not expect me to speak of great issues in a few sentences , do you ? This arises from the reasons given above ; for his ministers , being all slaves and bondmen , can only be corrupted with great difficulty , and one can expect little advantage from them when they have been corrupted , as they cannot carry the people with them , for the reasons assigned . The worst that a prince may expect from a hostile people is to be abandoned by them ; but from hostile nobles he has not only to fear abandonment , but also that they will rise against him ; for they , being in these affairs more far-seeing and astute , always come forward in time to save themselves , and to obtain favours from him whom they expect to prevail . Nor should we suppose that there is any such thing as a lie that is not a sin , just because we suppose that we can sometimes help somebody by lying . Neither have they the knowledge requisite for the position ; because , unless they are men of great worth and ability , it is not reasonable to expect that they should know how to command , having always lived in a private condition ; besides , they cannot hold it because they have not forces which they can keep friendly and faithful . I will not blame the course taken by the king , because , wishing to get a foothold in Italy , and having no friends there - seeing rather that every door was shut to him owing to the conduct of Charles - he was forced to accept those friendships which he could get , and he would have succeeded very quickly in his design if in other matters he had not made some mistakes . I worked hard to get it right . Far be it from us to say of that double-limbed man recently born in the Orient - - about whom most reliable brethren have given eyewitness reports and the presbyter Jerome , of holy memory , has left a written account [ 193 ] - - far be it from us , I say , to suppose that at the resurrection there will be one double man , and not rather two men , as there would have been if they had actually been born twins . The contrary happens in kingdoms governed like that of France , because one can easily enter there by gaining over some baron of the kingdom , for one always finds malcontents and such as desire a change . It is very true that , after acquiring rebellious provinces a second time , they are not so lightly lost afterwards , because the prince , with little reluctance , takes the opportunity of the rebellion to punish the delinquents , to clear out the suspects , and to strengthen himself in the weakest places . It is one thing to suppose that this particular road is the right one when it is not . " But let them suppose , if it pleases them , that , for certain intervals of time , the punishments of the damned are somewhat mitigated . And he who becomes master of a city accustomed to freedom and does not destroy it , may expect to be destroyed by it , for in rebellion it has always the watch-word of liberty and its ancient privileges as a rallying point , which neither time nor benefits will ever cause it to forget .