In his unfinished work Stalin, Leon Trotsky quotes some Machiavelli without saying where the quotes are from, but I'd like to know. Google hasn't been able to help me. So the following is probably the English translation of a Russian translation from the Italian:
“The Christian religion,” says Machiavelli, “teaches only suffering. That manner of living has obviously weakened the world…”
Nicholas Machiavelli was the most gifted representative of the Renaissance. “Experience shows,” wrote Machiavelli, “that great deeds are performed by those who are able to subject others to themselves by means of cunning or force”. Machiavelli also wrote:
When the fate of the fatherland is at stake, it is impossible to pay attention to any difficulties, obstacles, or to ask whether it is just or unjust, or to whether a measure is humane or cruel, laudable or deserving of reproof. Casting aside all other criteria, it is necessary to resort exclusively to the means which can save life and preserve the freedom of the fatherland.
Thanks for your help!
Hi hope the mods will be lenient as this is a textual / source enquiry, and I had limited success
Thre last paragraph is from the Discorsi sulla Prima Deca di Tito Livio (Discourses on Livy), book 3, chapter 41. Here is the complete original quote:
La quale cosa merita di essere notata ed osservata da qualunque cittadino si truova a consigliare la patria sua: perché dove si dilibera al tutto della salute della patria, non vi debbe cadere alcuna considerazione né di giusto né d’ingiusto, né di piatoso né di crudele, né di laudabile né d’ignominioso; anzi, posposto ogni altro rispetto, seguire al tutto quel partito che le salvi la vita e mantenghile la libertà
For the other quotes about religion and deeds. I couldn't pin it down. It doesn't come Frome the chapter of the Discourses dedicated to religion (book 1, Ch 12), neither from the ones in the Prince in which Machiavelli explains the virtues of cunning and strength. Will write back if I find more
Hi hope you are still reading. I spent some time reading a bit of Machiavelli, which is a great pleasure. I think I pinned down the source of the first quote, however it seems the translation is not literal and omitted part of the quote.
Machiavelli only use the expression "The Christian religion" about 5 times in his main works, and I don't think any of those could be construed as the one above. Most other times he would use "our religion". So I think the quote above is from the Discourses, book 2 , chapter 2, and some parts have been omitted.
E se la religione nostra richiede che tu abbi in te fortezza, vuole che tu sia atto a patire più che a fare una cosa forte. Questo modo di vivere, adunque, pare che abbi renduto il mondo debole, e datolo in preda agli uomini scelerati;
Roughly translated as: When our religion [needs you to be strong,] it will ask you to be able to suffer (withstand suffering) [rather than have you do mighty deeds]. This manner of living has therefore weakened the world [and let it be taken hostage by the wicked]
Parts [] are the omitted ones
For the part in the middle, the best match I could find is from chapter 18 of the Prince
Nondimeno si vede per esperienzia, ne’ nostri tempi, quelli Principi aver fatto gran cose, che della fede hanno tenuto poco conto, e che hanno saputo con astuzia aggirare i cervelli degli uomini, ed alla fine hanno superato quelli che si sono fondati in su la lealtà. Dovete adunque sapere come sono due generazioni di combattere: l’una con le leggi, l’altra con le forze.
Roughly translated as Nonetheless experience shows, in our times, the Princes who have done great deeds, are those who held faith in low regard, and have been able through cunning to circumvent men's brains, and in the end have overcome those who were relying on loyalty. You need to know that there two way of fighting: one through laws, the other through might.
Consider Machiavelli here will use 'laws' in the sense of using laws to bind subjects and allies to do the Prince's bidding. If you take in consideration the previous mention of cunning I think this is the source you were looking for. Hope it helps