# CHAPTER 51 — A Republic or a Prince Should Seem to Do Out of Generosity What Must Be Done Out of Necessity

Prudent men always and in their every action make a merit of doing things even if necessity forces them to act in this way in any case. This kind of prudence was well used by the Roman senate when it decided to give public funds to the men who were fulfilling their military service, even though they were accustomed to serving at their own expense. But realizing that it could not wage war in this fashion for very long, and that for this reason it could neither lay siege to cities nor lead troops far from home, and judging that it was necessary to be able to do both of these things, the senate decided that the previously mentioned stipends would be given; but they did this in such a way that they seemed to do as a favour what necessity forced them to do. And this gift was so welcome to the plebeians that Rome was turned upside down with joy, since this seemed to be a great benefit which they never hoped to have and which they never would have sought on their own. Although the tribunes did their best to annul this act of benevolence, pointing out that it increased rather than eased the plebeians’ burdens (since it was necessary to impose a tax to pay for this expense), the tribunes were, nevertheless, unable to do anything to prevent the plebeians from accepting the proposal. The senate only increased their pleasure by the manner in which they assessed the taxes, for they imposed the heaviest and the highest taxes upon the nobility, and these were the first to be paid.