Behold the prince who undertaketh an enterprise but doth things that accord not with its success: verily one should seek his enmity even by paying a price for it if necessary.
If a prince hath no virtues and many vices he will have no allies and his enemies will rejoice.
Enemies rejoice exceedingly when they get a fool and a coward to contend against.
Behold the prince who careth not even to fight his foolish neighbour and obtain an easy victory: glory will reject him for evermore.
LXXXVIII
The Appraising of Enemies
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The accursed thing called enmity should never be courted willingly even though it be only in jest.
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Even if thou challenge the men whose weapon is the bow, provoke not the men whose weapon is their tongue.
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Behold the prince that hath no allies but challengeth to war a multitude of foes: he is more insane than even a madman.
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Behold the prince that hath the tact to convert enemies into allies: his power will last without end.
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If thou hast to contend alone and without allies against two enemies, try to gain over one of them to thy side.
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Whether thou hast decided to make a neighbour thy friend or thine enemy, do not make him either when thou art embarrassed, but leave him alone.
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Reveal not thy troubles to men who know it not: neither expose thy weaknesses to thine enemies.
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Form a wise plan, consolidate thy resources, and provide for thy defences: if thou do this, it will not be long before the pride of thy enemies is humbled to the dust.
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Fell down thorn-trees while yet they are young: for when they are overgrown they will themselves cut the hand that attempteth to fell them.
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Verily they shall not last long, those who humble not the pride of men who defy them.
LXXXIX
The Traitor in the Camp
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Even groves and fountains give no joy if they breed disease: even so kinsmen too are an abomination when they seek one’s ruin.
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Fear not the foe that is like the naked sword: but beware of the enemy that cometh as a friend.
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Guard thyself against the secret enemy: for in the moment of embarrassment he will cut thee clean like the potter’s steel.
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If thou have an enemy that masqueradeth about as thy friend, he will soon corrupt thy kindred and bring down a multitude of evils on thy head.
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When a kinsman turneth traitor against thee, he will bring on thee a multitude of evils and jeopardise thy very life.
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When treachery invadeth the entourage of the prince, it is impossible that he falleth not a prey to it one day or other.
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The house that is divided against itself is like a vessel that is fitted with a lid: though it appeareth to be a single unit, it will never make a united whole.
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Behold the house that is divided against itself: it will crumble to dust even like a piece of iron that is filed with a file.
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Though the split be small even like a slit in a sesamum seed, ruin hangeth over the house that is divided against itself.
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Behold the man who mixeth on intimate terms with one who hateth him in his heart: he is like one dwelling in a hut with a cobra for his companion.
XC
Refraining from Offending the Great Ones
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The greatest care of a man that looketh to his safety should be to guard himself carefully from offending the Great Ones.
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If a man slighteth the Great Ones, their power will bring down on him miseries without end.
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Dost thou seek thy annihilation? then close thy ears to good counsel and offer provocation to men who have the power to destroy thee when they please.
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Behold the weak man slighting men of might and power: it is as if he beckoneth to the God of Death to come to him.
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Behold the men who provoke the wrath of princes of the mighty arm: wheresoever they go they will not thrive.
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Even men who are caught in a conflagration may escape alive: but there is no safety for men who wrong the mighty ones.
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Where will be thy life with its varied glories and thy wealth with all its splendour, if sages, strong in the strength of the spirit, are incensed against thee?
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Behold the princes who look as if they are established on an everlasting foundation: even they will perish with all their kin if men who are mighty as the mountain but will their doom.
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Even the king of the Gods will fail from his place and lose his sovereignty if men of holy vows look on him in anger.
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Even men who rest upon the most solid of supports will not be saved if men of great spiritual power frown on them.
XCI
Submission to Wife Government
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Those that dote upon their wives will not attain to greatness: those that have the ambition to do great things turn away from such seduction.
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Behold the man who hath an abject infatuation for his wife: in the very midst of his prosperity he will be a byword among men, and he will have to hide his face in shame.
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The weakling who humbleth himself before his wife will always be ashamed to show his face before the worthy.
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Behold the salvation-less wretch that trembleth before his wife: his talents will never be held in any esteem.
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The man who feareth his wife will never have the courage to do a service even to the worthy.
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Behold the men who stand in awe of the tender arms of their wives: though they live like Gods no man will respect them.
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Behold the man that submitteth to petticoat government: a bashful maid hath more dignity in her than he.
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Behold the men that allow themselves to be governed by their wives: they will not satisfy the wants of their friends, neither will they do anything that is good.
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Behold the men that submit to petticoat government: neither righteousness nor wealth nor even the joy of love will be found with them.
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Behold
