Machiavelli — "A prince, therefore, must not mind incurring the charge of cruelty for the purpo…"

A prince, therefore, must not mind incurring the charge of cruelty for the purpose of keeping his subjects united and loyal; for, with a very few examples, he will be more merciful than those who, from excess of tenderness, allow disorders to arise, from whence spring murders and rapine; for these as a rule injure the whole community, while the executions carried out by the prince injure only individuals.
Machiavelli — Machiavelli Early Modern · The Prince, political philosophy

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The Prince, Chapter XVII: Cruelty and Clemency, and Whether it is Better to be Loved or Feared

Date: 1532

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