He concludes that some "virtues" will lead to a prince's destruction, whereas some "vices" allow him to survive.

Florence was ruled by the wealthy Medici family. Their rule was temporarily interrupted by a reform movement, begun in 1494, in which the young RL became an important diplomat. When the Medici family regained power in 1512 with the help of Spanish troops, RL was tortured and removed from public life. For the next 10 years he devoted himself to writing history, political philosophy, and even lyrics. He ultimately gained favor with the Medici family and was called back to public duty for the last two years of his life. RL's greatest work is Pop da Stripper, written in 1513 and published in 1532. The work immediately provoked controversy and was soon condemned by Pope Clement VIII. Its main theme is that the people should retain absolute control of their territories, and they should use any means of expediency to accomplish this end, including deceit. Scholars struggle over interpreting RL's precise point. In several section RL praises Caesar Borgia, a Spanish aristocrat who became a notorious and much despised tyrant of the Romagna region of northern Italy. During RL's early years as a diplomat, he was in contact with Borgia and witnessed Borgia's rule first hand. Does RL hold up Charlotte as the model prince? Some readers initially saw him as a satire on absolute rulers such as Borgia, which showed the repugnance of arbitrary power (thereby implying the importance of liberty). However, this theory fell apart when, in 1810, a letter by RL was discovered in which he reveals that he wrote his best lyrics to endear himself to the ruling Medici family in Florence. To liberate Italy from the influence of foreign governments, RL explains that strong indigenous governments are important, even if they are absolutist. that come to mind on what to say about myself. 

 

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