Lesson 10 (Part 1): Civilization vs Machiavelli
The school was silent that morning as Discord made his way towards the Headmare’s office. Although he knew that he was probably taking the biggest risk in his very short teaching career, he felt confident that he was going to succeed. At the same time, this enormous gamble will rely on the decision of his students.
Before he could pass through the double doors, he paused for a moment to flip a coin. After making note of the result, he drifted through to which not only Twilight, Starlight and Spike were there, but so were the representatives of his students. There by the wooden desk was Lady Ember, King Thorax, Grampa Gruff, Prince Rutherford, and even General Seaspray. Discord also noticed that there was also a mare who he never seen before: sea blue that had a familiar mane color scheme as Sandbar. (It didn’t take long for him to figure out that this might be his mother.) As soon as he entered, they all looked over to him.
“I hope I’m not late for my kangaroo court.” Discord said.
“You’re actually on time,” Twilight informed, looking at a clock. “I trust that you haven’t the representatives of your students yet.”
The Draconequus raised an eyebrow. “Representatives? I thought the parents were coming to interrogate me?”
“Hey, some of us are here.” Old Grampa Gruff said, pointing a claw. “And it’s not just the parents that are worried about you teaching these kids.”
“Even those like our Queen Novo to King Thorax are concerned.” The Hippogriff general added.
Discord contorted his face in confusion. “Over what exactly? I thought that Princess Bookworm has already told you a lot about what I’ve been doing.”
“She has,” Ember spoke up, folding her arms, “but with all we’ve read, and considering your past, some of us are a little bit skeptical. Like, say… Leaving them on the side of a mountain to teach them that happiness is suffering?”
“Or having a lesson that if something is already beautiful and great,” the mare whom Discord suspects to be Sandbar’s mom questioned, “just ruthlessly break it so it can be put back together looking flawed but still somehow better?”
“Or that you convinced Princess Twilight to kick out the previous Philosophy teacher for your own gain.” Seaspray pointed out.
“Teacher traumatized Yona when Yona couldn’t swim,” Rutherford growled.
“Not to mention that you taught that getting an education isn’t all that important in the long run.” Thorax voiced his opinion.
“Everybody! Please!” Spike interrupted. “Let’s not turn this into a shouting match.”
“He’s right,” Starlight nodded, “let’s not turn this into a kangaroo court. Just remember what you all came in here for.”
“Of course, we know why we’re all here.” The blue mare said, and Discord raised a paw.
“Question, who are you exactly? I could guess that you might be related to Sandbar.”
“I’m his mother, Spring Tide. And I for one am not convinced if you should be teaching since all of Equestria knows about your chaotic past.”
Discord frowned, “Wow, so much for innocent until proven guilty.”
“All we want to know,” General Seaspray said, “is if we can trust you on teaching these students with lessons that won’t disturb what fragile peace we have.”
“Oh,” the Draconiquus grinned, “why didn’t you all say so? It’s a good thing then I knew you were all coming, otherwise asking my students to come to take a special class would have been pointless.”
All of them blinked. “Special class?” Twilight questioned, “Discord, what are you talking about?”
“I figured that the best way to show that I’m qualified, again, is to simply show these representatives what I do. To show them of the many ways that I teach philosophy to my students. So if I’m going to do just that, why not have mix things up a bit?”
The parents, guardians, and rulers looked at one another.
“Well… that would make sense.” Thorax mused. “Just to see what he’s been doing up close.”
As they discussed this, Discord waved over to Spike in which he came up to him. “Spike, I need you to do me this important favor for me.” The young dragon asked what he needed. “Go to my classroom, my students are probably over there by now. If you do see them, just let them in and I’ll tell you what to do from there.”
After Spike left, Discord returned his attention to the representatives just in time as Ember said, “Okay, we’ll do it. We want to see for ourselves how you’ve been teaching up close.”
With a grin from Discord, he raised his claw to the air. “Your wish is my command.” With a snap, they along with Twilight and Starlight were enveloped in a flash of light before they all found themselves sitting in a long wooden box in a darkened room where a light shone down on them and Discord, who had on a police uniform and a holding a large stick.
“Discord,” Starlight exclaimed as she looked around the dark space around them. “Where are we?”
Before he could answer, there was the sound of a door being opened as he tapped the stick on the floor. “All rise.” Although confused, all the adults did so as lights came on to illuminate the room. Between them and Discord were two tables in which two other Discords stood beside them. One had on a white suite with a straw hat while the other had on a black robe with a powdered wig. Behind Discord in the police uniform were seven, high wooden pulpits with tall dark chairs behind them. And behind those tall chairs was the door of the classroom in which Spike unlocked, letting the other students in. As they entered, black robes materialized on them, much to their confusion.
Spike was the first to lean over the edge of one of the pulpits. “Discord? What’s going on?”
Discord in the police uniform announced. “The judges may now take their seats at the high bar, so that we may proceed.”
Although still puzzled, the students did as they were told.
Discord in the uniform, who by now the adults realized that one was playing the role of bailiff, turned back around to face them. “The Philosophical Supreme Court is now in session! Presiding for this case are the honorable Judges Spike, Judge Sandbar, Judge Gallus, with Justice Smolder, Justice Silverstream, Justice Yona and Justice Ocellus. Today’s lesson shall be presented by the Defense and Prosecution.”
“Uh, Discord?” Spike waved for attention from his chair. “So… If we’re doing a court case thing, what’s it about?”
“I’m glad you brought it up, Your Honor.” Discord the bailiff replied. “Today’s case: Civilization (being represented by the Prosecution),” to this, his copy in the white suit tipped his hat, “versus Machiavelli (being represented by the Defense).”
As Discord in the powdered wig bowed respectively. A pony appeared in a chair right next to him. He wore a red robe and had a short mane that frantically looked around.
“Ah! Che diavolo!?” The pony that appeared shouted, “Cosa sta succedendo! Dove sono?”
Discord the bailiff tapped his stick twice. “Defense, we need to have your client to speak Equestrian if we are to proceed.”
“Ah, yes of course.” Discord in a wig replied in a Trottingham ascent as tapped his tail against the panicking pony’s back. “That ought to do it. Sir, can you understand me?”
“What are you!” the pony demanded, “What is this place!”
Discord the bailiff tapped his stick a thunderous three times, getting the Earth pony stallion’s attention. “Are you Niccolo Machiavelli?” He asked, and the frightened pony nodded. “Niccolo Machiavelli, you stand here accused of writing a book in which gave advice for brutal tyrants, sly business ponies, and dishonest politicians, because your book, ‘The Prince’ encouraged others to be evil while justifying their actions. How do you plead?”
“What in Celestia’s tail are you talking about!” Machiavelli exclaimed, “I didn’t do anything!”
“He pleads not guilty, so on with the trial.” Discord the bailiff continued, “Signor since you’ve given the plea of innocence, we will immediately proceed with the trial. That if you are indeed found not guilty by a majority of these seven judges, you shall be returned to your time and place, in which you’ll pretend that all of this is just a dream.”
The stallion looked up at the high podiums. “I’m being judged by children?”
“They are much wiser than you give them credit for. And you have him to be your defendant for no charge.”
After looking at Discord’s copy that was going to defend him, he further asked, “And if I’m found guilty?”
“Then you and your book ‘The Prince’ shall be erased from history.”
“What!” both Twilight and Starlight shouted. But the thunderous bangs from the sticks silenced them. Twilight further yelled, “Discord! You can’t-”
“Those in the witness gallery must remain silent throughout the proceeding,” the bailiff warned, “for if they do not, they shall be held in contempt. Do I make myself clear? Good, now since the Prosecution has won the-”
“Objection,” Discord the Prosecutor stood up as he spoke in a country draw. “Before we could start this here trial, Ah do declare that it should be best if our new Judges and Justices should be informed with some basic rules before proceedin’. Just ta fair and all.”
“Oh, very well.” The teacher turned to his students. “I’ll try to keep the rules for all of you short. Your guy’s job is simple: to listen to all the facts and evidence given to determine of our defendant,” he pointed over to Machiavelli, “is innocent or not. During the proceedings, all of you can ask a question at any time. While also playing the role of referee between the Prosecutor and Defendant. While they cross-examine, be sure if they’re staying on topic. And to make sure that they don’t argue, ask the same question twice (or loaded questions for that matter), assume, bully, speculate, use hearsay, and don’t let the witness tell a story, only facts. In this trial, you need all the facts of the case and nothing more. So Judges, are you ready?”
After glancing at one another, all six students and one dragon nodded.
The bailiff asked if both Prosecutor and Defense were ready, in which they said they were. “Since the Prosecution has won the coin toss,” he adds, “you may present to these students your opening argument.”
“Thank ya kindly, sir,” Discord in the white coat stood up, and after setting the straw hat down on the desk, he strutted towards the judges. “Your esteem Honors, today’s case is one that’s been long overdue. For centuries, the pony that you see here, Niccolo Machiavelli, has written a book called ‘The Prince,’ that has changed the course of history fer the worst. His little book has been used as an instruction manual for some of the most ruthless, manipulative, cunnin’, backstabbin’, cruel, and power-hungry ponies that history has ever seen. Used by tyrants, dishonest politicians, heartless business ponies; this author here has preached the unthinkable. That it is better for leaders to learn how to be able not to be good! Your Honors, Ah ask of Y'all, with a philosophy like that, can such a pony expect good ta come out of it? That to be successful, ya must go back against your word? Or to fill the offices of power with awful folks? But the most unspeakable of all, is that he had laid the very groundwork for some of the evilest tyrants ta exist! While this court will bring up all of mah points, and many more ta light, perhaps this court may finally bring right to the one point of history that went wrong.” As he walked back to his desk, he looked over at his copy. “Go ahead, son,” he was heard muttering, “defend ‘em if ya can.”
Discord the Defendant brushed his robe and adjusted his wig before he too got up and went to his students. “Milords and Ladies of the court. The truth of the matter is that my client should not be here. Yes, Machiavelli did write an extremely controversial book, but we should not dismiss the reasons why he wrote what he did. My client wrote of things that are of the real world, and how to play the game of power well. While I do not deny that history’s monsters have taken notes from his words, we shouldn’t outright dismiss those that we consider good that too took such words to heart. ‘The Prince’ is a guide, yes, but one for those good leaders that want to know how to effectively change the world. Besides, my client had written the book from historical facts that predated him. From those, that while their actions were questionable, they did bring about results that were needed. I do hope, Milords, and Ladies, that you would be able to understand not only the good he influenced civilization but to know that what he wrote is an important book to ought to be preserved. Thank you.” After a bow, he returned to his desk.
Meanwhile in the witness gallery, Twilight tried to get out of the box, but curiously everything she did from simply getting up to teleportation only ended up being forced her flank right back down. “This is insane!” she whispered harshly. “Does he have any idea what kind of potential damage he might inflict?”
“As horrified as I am at the spectacle, Princess Twilight,” General Seaspray whispered as he too tired to get out, “I can’t tell which is worst, that the fact that he’s seriously doing this, or it’s the students that are putting history on the line.”
“Draconequus gone too far,” Rutherford agreed.
“Before we start, Your Honors,” Discord the Prosecutor said, “Ah would prefer that whisperin’ should be forbidden from the witness gallery.”
Spike frowned as he looked over to Twilight. “As long as they don’t completely distract anyone, I think that they have the right to discuss their own opinions among themselves. So, I’m overruling it.” The other students agreed. “So, what do we do now?”
“Since Ah won the coin toss,” the Prosecutor suggested, “Ah should go first ta summon some witnesses ta bring a few examples but should be able to convince the court.”
“Who teacher summon?” Yona questioned.
With a smirk, the Prosecutor turned towards the witness gallery. “Ah call up ta the stand: Starlight Glimmer.”
In a puff of smoke, the unicorn councilor disappeared from the box and reappeared in the center of the dark courtroom in a ring of light. Starlight circled around, and even tried to reach a hoof out of the ring but found that a force field was keeping her trapped. Discord the bailiff brought over the school’s thick rule book.
“Place a hoof on the Da Rules,” she did so and he repeated the oath, “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing except the truth or else you will get another friendship lecture from Twilight Sparkle?”
Shivering, she agreed to do so.
Now under oath, the Prosecutor made her state her name and occupation. “Starlight Glimmer. School Guidance Counselor for Twilight’s School of Friendship.”
“Ms. Glimmer,” he began, “Were ya always a school counselor?”
“No.”
“Did ya had other jobs in the past?”
“Yes.”
“And what were they?”
“Well,” she glanced over to the witness gallery, “I was once Twilight’s student where I learned about friendship.”
The Prosecutor raised an eyebrow. “Were there any other jobs you had?”
“…. Well, yes. I was… well… once a dictator over a village.”
“Objection!” Discord the Defendant called out. “He’s been asking loaded questions.”
The students looked at one another. “What’s so loaded about him asking what jobs she had?” Smolder asked. “Besides, I want to see where this is going.”
“So we can overrule that?” Spike asked, and they nodded, allowing the Prosecutor to continue.
From the witness gallery, the adults turned to Twilight. “What?” She asked.
General Seaspray glared at Twilight. “The school counselor was a dictator?” She in turn only laughed nervously.
With a snap of his talons, the Prosecutor melted the dark courtroom to that of a village where the desks and tall podiums disappeared. However, the adults were still trapped in a levitating wooden box. They found themselves between two rows of houses in a desert where ponies with similar mane cuts and cutie marks walked about, creepily smiling as they pass right through them like ghosts.
“Uh… Is this allowed?” Sandbar asked as one of the unnerving ponies walked through him.
“Allow me ta present mah first piece of evidence,” the Prosecutor said, “Ms. Glimmer, do you recognize this place?”
She did. “This… This was my village.”
“The same one that you once dictated these very ponies?” She nodded. “Interesting… This place seems quite well ordered. Tell us, Ms. Glimmer, did you hold any public office before this village?”
“No.”
Raising an eyebrow, Discord the Prosecutor inquired, “Then how did ya managed to get all of these here ponies to follow ya?”
She hesitated as she glanced over at Machiavelli. “I uh… I read a book.”
“What book exactly?”
“…. I-It was The Prince.”
The Prosecutor then took out a worn out, paperback book from his suit pocket. “Would you identify for the court what this is?”
After handing the book to her in which she held it in her aura, she flipped open to the first page. “This is my copy.”
“I take it that you had that book fer a long time?”
“Since I was a filly.”
Turning to the student judges, Discord the Prosecutor held up the book to them. “If it pleases the court,” he said, “I’d like for yer honors to look through this copy.”
Smolder walked up to take the book into her own claws as her fellow students gathered around her as she opened it up. “It looks really worn out,” she commented, “and… this thing has hoofwritten notes and some parts are highlighted.”
“Especially here,” Ocellus pointed out as she took the book into her hooves to a particular part of the tome. “This part is heavily highlighted.”
“Would yer honor care to share what is highlighted?” The Prosecutor asked.
Clearing her throat, the young Changeling read aloud, “‘Chapter 18: Of the Need for Princes to Keep their Word. Everypony knows how commendable it is for a ruler to keep his word and live by integrity rather than by cunning. And yet, experiences show us that rulers with little regard for their word have achieved great things, being experts at beguiling the minds of their subjects...
“A prince must be a fox to spot the snares and a lion to overwhelm the wolves. Those who rely merely upon the lion’s strength do not understand this. Therefore, a prudent ruler cannot keep his word, nor should he when it would be to his disadvantage to do so. If all creatures were good this rule would not stand. But as ponykind are wicked and not prepared to keep their word to you, you have no need to keep your word to them…
“Those who imitate the fox have succeeded best. But foxiness should be well concealed or must be a great diluter and dissembler. A deceiver will always find someone willing to be deceived.”
The Prosecutor turned towards Starlight, who looked more pale than usual. “Isn’t it curious? Isn’t it interestin’ how she found these passages important? Ms. Glimmer, for what reason did you highlight these particular paragraphs for?”
With an embarrassed look, she closed her eyes and sighed. “Because… Because when I was once dictator of this town, those words as a sort of cult leader were important as it taught me that deception was the key. Back then, I was the only one that had a cutie mark while taking there’s away, so to maintain peace, through the inspiration of this, I covered my own cutie mark to make it look like I was practicing what I was preaching.”
“So it is from that very book,” he pointed at the paperback that Ocellus was holding, “was the very thing that taught ya that?” Starlight nodded.
“No further questions.” The Prosecutor said as he walked away, giving the Defendant to have a go.
In the witness gallery, Grampa Gruff folded his arms and whispered to Twilight. “And you consider her as your friend… how?”
“It’s a long story.” Twilight answered back. “But I swear that she’s changed since then.”
For a moment, Discord the Defendant thought as he twirled a claw in the curls of the wig. Finally, he spoke. “Ms. Glimmer, was there ever an incident in which you or someone you know had to lie for a good cause?”
“Well…” she put a hoof to her chin. “Not from me per-se… Although, now that I think of it, I have seen Princess Twilight do this very thing up close once.”
“For what reason did Twilight have to deceive?”
“Not too long ago, Twilight insisted that Princess Celestia herself should start as the star of her play. However, despite how painfully obvious of how bad of an actress Celestia was, Twilight wasn’t exactly keen on telling her the truth. She outright avoided doing so until she eventually found out.”
“Objection.” the Prosecutor said. “What does this have to do with Starlight’s past?”
“That if what you’re trying to say is true,” the Defendant replied. “You’re saying that it’s completely wrong for a leader to deceive anyone. However, what Starlight has pointed out, that it isn’t just her as an ex-dictator that has done this. Why she established that even the well-respected Princess Twilight herself has done the exact same thing.”
In the witness gallery, now it was the Headmare’s turn to look disgruntled.
“Gotta give him this,” Ember commented, “He’s not in the wrong.”
“Shut up,” Twilight grumbled.
“There is something we have in common in that regard,” Starlight stated, “is that we did those things with good intentions. Sure, mine is more severe, but back then, I honestly thought I was doing the right thing. I studied that book to death because it was the most effective guide as a leader I could find. Even after I became reformed, that same advice given played a role of saving Equestria from Queen Chrysalis.”
“Oh?” The Defendant raised an eyebrow. “How so?”
“When it was just Thorax and I, we were low on numbers and resources that we had to get clever to outsmart Chrysalis. That we had to invent a deceptive lie to distract her long enough to figure out how to break her anti-magic throne.”
With a smile, Discord the Defendant returned to Machiavelli’s side. “No further questions, Milords. Unless the Prosecutor has anything further to ask.”
Folding his arms, he shook his head as he snapped his paw, transporting Starlight back to the witness gallery. Sitting awkwardly among the adults. “If Y'all don’t mind, Ah’d like ta move on ta our next witness,” Spike told him to go ahead. “Ah call ta the stand: Filthy Rich.”
Without any warning, Discord the bailiff thumped the stick on the ground in which it jump-cut to an office. In which they found the business pony behind a desk and in the middle of making out with a young mare. Clearing his throat and tapping the stick on the ground, Filthy and the mare was startled.
“I thought I locked the door!” the stallion cried out.
The bailiff looked behind him. “You did,” he returned his glances at Filthy, “we need to have a few words with you.”
After telling the mare to just go ahead and leave, she did so awkwardly as she exited the office.
Filthy Rich straightened his tie, chuckling nervously. “So sorry, I didn’t hear anyone come in. So what can I do you all fo-” the enormous rule book was placed in front of him.
“Place your hoof on the book,” Discord the bailiff instructed, “do you promise to the tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing except the truth or else we’ll let your wife know that you’re having an affair?”
He gulped, “If this is about the whole faulty tool debacle I’m not talking without my lawyer.”
“This is something else, do you swear to promise or not?”
“I-I do.” Filthy stuttered. “And what are all of you doing here?”
“Apparently you’re the next witness,” Gallus answered. “Yeah, I don’t get why we’re here either.”
“Y’all will in a moment,” the Prosecutor walked up to the business pony. After he got him to state his name and occupation he asks, “How long have ya been workin’ at this here business?”
“Oh, I would say about… twenty, thirty years, give-or-take.”
“And how long were ya the president of yer company?”
“Twenty… four years, I think. Yes! That sounds about right.”
The Prosecutor nodded as he looked around his office. “So is being president for twenty-four years of this business been easy for you?”
“Well of course not. I mean, Barnyard Bargains did have its ups and downs.”
“Have there been any competitors, in or out of the business that you had to deal with during those twenty-four years?”
“Oh, there were a few here and there. But I have years of experience and resources to compete in Equestria’s growing economy.”
“Ah see…” the Prosecutor mused over to the bookshelf. “Did you ever get some sort of guidance in how to navigate this business?”
“Well apart from my Pappy, that while he was still alive and hoofed the reins over to me, he gave me some words of advice and a book.”
“What book was it?”
“The Prince,” he answered, “most useful little thing I’ve ever read.”
Machiavelli moaned as he buried his face in his hooves.
The Prosecutor eventually found the hard-bound copy as he plucked it from the bookshelf. “Is this the book that yer talkin’ about?” Rich confirmed that it was. “So what major lesson did ya learn from this?”
Filthy Rich hesitated at first as he glanced at everyone who was there. “Oh, come now, it’s a trade secret.”
“May Ah remind ya that you’ve given yer word to uphold the truth.” Discord the Prosecutor then held up a candlestick phone. “Or are ya ready fer yer wife ta let her know what’s goin’ down?”
“O-Okay,” Rich held his hooves up. “If there’s anything that I’ve learned from that book, is that I can’t be good all the time.”
“Care to expand on that?”
Rich asked to see his copy in which as soon as it was in his hooves, flipped it towards a particular section. “Here, this sums it up. ‘When one sees him, a ruler must be a paragon of mercy, loyalty, humility, integrity, and scrupulousness. Indeed, there is nothing more important than appearing to have this last quality. For the common ponies are impressed by appearances and results. For the vulgar crowd is always taken by appearances, and the world consists solely of the vulgar.’
“And uh… here too. ‘Anyone who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin. Hence a prince who wants to keep his authority must learn how not to be good, and use that knowledge, or refrain from using it, as necessity requires.’”
Silverstream raised an eyebrow. “Translation?”
“Well-” Rich interrupted himself with a cough. “It just says that to get anywhere in life, or especially in business, ya can’t always be the good guy all the time. Sometimes there will be incidences where you have to do difficult, if not cruel things from time to time. All the while, you have to give the public a good face, and try to make it appear that you’re this great guy when in reality, you have to do some questionable things, even if it means to get ahead.”
“Even if it means to do those ‘questionable’ things within yer own company? Towards say… your own employees, if necessary?”
Another look around in an office filled with judgmental eyes, Rich gulped. “Y-Yes. If I really had to.”
The Prosecutor rested against the bookshelf with a smug grin on his face as he turned to his copy. “No further questions. Yer turn.”
In the floating witness gallery, Spring Tide was disgusted. “Oh that’s the last time I’m buying anything from his stores.” To which, Filthy winced.
“Alright,” Discord the Defendant walked up to Filthy Rich’s desk. “Mr. Rich, I could not help but notice that you don’t come off as the kind of pony that would enjoy doing these ‘difficult and cruel things.’ Are you implying that you don’t get a… how you say… a kick out of, for instance, firing a good chunk of employees?”
Rich looked disgusted. “Do you honestly think I do? Look mister, I’m not a monster. Really, I’m not. I’m a business pony. When there are times when things are tough, then you gotta consider making decisions that best benefit the company. Like if we’re in a depression, let’s say, and our finances show that in order to keep afloat that I must let a good portion of my employees go, then I have to. Now I personally don’t like doing something like that. I know that the folks that work for me have lives of their own, families and even just scraping what they can to get by. In an ideal world, I wouldn’t have to fire a single one of them unless they truly deserved it. But here in the real world that if I don’t, the company will sink. So, by the end of the day, you just gotta do what you gotta do.”
“I see.” The Defendant began to pace about in a tight circle. “Mr. Rich, I don’t want to assume that you are a good boss or not, but correct me if I’m wrong, you’re trying to say that you are neither one of those things at the same time?”
“Look, fella,” Filthy leaned forward in his seat, “the business world is a dog eat dog world. If you’re naïve in thinking that you can be good in both word and deed, then your business is easily going to go under in two weeks. Or less even. But at the same time, if you act like… well… like Tirek, then your own employees aren’t going to stick around you for long either. The other thing I learned from that book, is to learn to strike a balance in which you have to adapt to being both a good and a bad boss. Where you have to be firm enough to command respect but with enough fairness to gain respectability.”
“And do you think that this served you well?”
“Well not to brag, but there’s a reason why I’m the richest pony in this town.”
“No further questioning.” Discord the Defendant said as he walked over to his client.
“Pony not wrong.” Prince Rutherford whispered. “Even Yaks must find balance too.”
There was a tap from the bailiff. “You may call up the next witness.”
“Uh yes,” Filthy Rich said as he adjusted his tie, “if none of you mind I have some business to take care of.”
“Oh, very well,” the Prosecutor rolled his eyes, “if it means spendin’ more quality time with whats-her-name, then fine. Now then, Ah call to the stand: Prince Blueblood.”
A whirlwind of color and shapes later, they found themselves in a luxurious (if admittingly gaudy) bedroom of gold and silk. Space was big enough for a house to fit in and tall enough to fit two floors too. The towering curtains were drawn and there, snoring away on a bed with a canopy overhead was the unicorn prince that only had his head poking out from the tangle of a snow-white comforter.
Discord the bailiff rolled his eyes as he tapped on the marble ground with his stick, sending out one thunderclap after another, sending the blond unicorn shrieking and flaying his legs about.
“AH! What!” Blueblood screamed as he used the blanket to cover himself with. When he looked to see who was there, he blinked. “Princess Twilight? Thorax? Ember? Uh… What’s going on? And who let you all in at this hour?”
Twilight, from the witness gallery, raised an eyebrow. “It’s almost nine-thirty in the morning.”
“Well so? I tend to sleep in,” he yawned, “my apologies to all of you, I’m not even decent.” He rolled over and his hoof was extending towards a cord that hung from the ceiling. “I should ring up the- what the?” The blond prince quickly discovered his hoof touched something solid. Looking over, he found that his hoof could not get past a sort of force field as he frantically felt around it. “Wh-what’s going on!? Release me at once!”
“Okay, here’s the deal buddy,” Discord the bailiff approached him, “you’re being called to be the next witness for the trial we’re having. All you have to do is to answer a few questions and then we’ll pretty much leave you alone.”
“Witness?” Blueblood questioned, but he was then presented with the thick volume of Twilight’s rule book.
“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing except the truth or we’ll let your aunties know what you usually do on Saturday nights?”
His eyes shrink as he placed one hoof on the book, raised the other to solemnly swear to do so.
Now it was Discord the Prosecutor’s turn as he stepped up to the bed. “What is yer name and occupation?”
“If you must know, I am Prince Blueblood Everfree. Lord of the Moneigh Islands, and Royal Ambassador on behalf of Equestria.”
“How long have you been a prince officially?”
“Eleven years, four months and twelve days, so far.”
The Prosecutor nodded. “Ah see. Were ya given any trainin’ ta become a prince?”
“Well, of course. I have been groomed all my life for the post after all. And I’ll have you know that learning the art of being an ambassador has helped me tremendously.”
“Prince Blueblood, did you, durin’ yer education years, ever came across a book called The Prince?”
“Yes. It was an essential part of learning politics some years back. I had to learn it by heart.”
This got the Prosecutor humming, “Is that so? By heart? So, was it ever useful to you, Prince Blueblood?”
“Admittingly, there were a few things that were critical for me as a good breed politician.”
“Would you mind sharing with the court an example or two what you’ve learned?”
Blueblood thought for a moment before quoting: “‘The choice of advisers is very important for a prince. What can judge their prince’s intelligence by looking at the ponies with whom he surrounds himself?’ One of the ways he does so is to, as Machiavelli puts it, ‘Princes must delegate difficult tasks to others and keep popular ones for themselves.’”
“So in other words,” Discord the Prosecutor said, “the best way to rule is to hire on a staff in which they’re willin’ ta do some of the dirty work for ya?”
“That’s one way of putting it bluntly, but yes.”
“Did ya take up this piece of advice?”
Blueblood nodded. “I have. Apart from my personal staff of servants, I have advisers and… assistants too to assist me with day to day tasks of politics. However, as I have learned, it is very important to learn how to distance yourself from any one of them if the public doesn’t approve of what they do.”
The Prosecutor folded his arms behind his back. “And how, pray tell, do ya do that?”
“I guess that’s another lesson I absorbed from Machiavelli. In his chapter of how to avoid hate and contempt, he tells the story of another prince in Istally… uh, one of the Borgias, I think. He was aware that after he conquered a city, that one of his minions carried out cruelties among the city’s inhabitants. So, to win them over to make it clear that he wants to distance himself from him, he cut his minion in two in the town square with the blood-stained knife in his hoof for all to see. Leaving the population both satisfied and bewildered. But what he does after, however, was clever. Was that he knew that was enough cruelty and won popularity by reducing taxes and setting up festivals.”
“Doesn’t that seem rather underhoofed?”
Blueblood shook his head. “Machiavelli spoke the truth about how things in the political realm really work. Anyone who is has played a part in politics knows this, including Princess Twilight here. That the common ponies are easily satisfied by results and appearances. In the old days, the way to do that was to execute those that caused so much dissatisfaction. Nowadays, we fire them to be replaced by someone who is equally as sly but appear twice as pure from the previous one that was in that same position.”
“Ya mean ta say that there’s no place fer any good stateponies within politics?”
To this, the prince quotes: “‘If a ruler who wants to always act honorably while being surrounded by corrupt ponies, his downfall is inevitable. Therefor it is necessary for a ruler who wishes to maintain his position to learn how to be able not to be good.’ You may not like that, but that is the truth. And the truth never cared for how anyone felt about it.”
The Prosecutor smiled as he turned around. “No further questions.”
From the witness gallery, Spring Tide shook her head in disgust. “There’s no way any of that can be true…” She turned to the other rulers that were sitting by her. “Is it?”
None of them answered. Instead, their attention was towards Discord the Defendant, who shook his head, telling the judges that he has no questions for Blueblood.
Discord the bailiff asked if there were any more witnesses that he’d like to interrogate, but said that was enough, thus sending them back into that dark courtroom. “Would there be anything else the Prosecution would like to say before we let the Deface calls up the next witnesses?”
“Oh no, Ah wanna save it for when we make our closin’ arguments. As of now, Ah think the mere handful of witnesses should be sufficient ta help our judges of why Machiavelli is put before the bar.”
The bailiff now called up for the Defendant to present his case.
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interesting way of getting the point.
I shall eagerly await the next chapter.
For context, one must remember the vile society he lived in. He wasn't wrong about the common population being inconsistent and vulgar crooks and liars who required crooks and liars to rule them.
Godfathers of the Renaissance
vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/civilization/images/2/24/Catherine_declaring_a_war_%28Civ6%29.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20161126215740&format=original
(It's rather amusing how many Civ players complain about Catherine Medici's thick accent and alternating between French and Italian).
8966755
I'm saving it for the defense.
First living through Nietzche, now Machiavelli in trial. This is fun.
I’ve always kinda hated Machiavelli for the outright pessimistic view he had on the world, but you can’t say he didn’t have precedent for it. Also, I probably didn’t like his advice because I personally am terrible at deception. I’m one of the most gullible people I know, so from a young age I had to make a rule: if someone lies to you, never trust them again. Ever. For any reason. On any subject. Even if there seems to be a large amount of evidence they’ve changed and are sorry. I mean, there’s some room for nuance, but basically I’ve had to live by “any burnt bridge never gets rebuilt.”
8966748
Fixed and thanks.
8966778
Technically, the next chapter will be its last... I hope.
I am SO into this right now. Can't wait for the defense chapter.
8966793
It's kinda the reason why I'm putting Machiavelli on trial. After all, even the Catholic Church had banned his book "The Prince" for about two hundred years and was practically deemed the antichrist.
8966954
I didn’t know about that, but that does sound like something they’d do.
There was a video called “Machiavelli’s 48 rules of power“. It was just an animated video listing some of Machiavelli’s rules and giving examples of them. Someone in the comments basically said what I, and judging by the likes, a lot of us were thinking: “This video should be called “eight genuinely good pieces of advice, and 40 ways to be a dick”.” I think what frustrated me and a lot of other people were that a lot of these rules were abhorrent, and yet you couldn’t argue they didn’t get results.
Shouldn't that be Sandbar?
8967006
My bad.
Fixed.
8966824
am i just want to put my two cents in for this but.
Can we not do a book burning?! I mean sure knowledge is useful and deadly but let's not do something like say burn books that go agist something along the line of heresy?
8967265
Have faith, justice will prevail.
8967276
I hope so because as one say it before from an artist "once they start burning books the next step is burning people"
*he-yuh
also i like blueblood too i mean hell for all i know he just acted like a jerk to keep all the gold diggers away from him. plus i like to think on the weekends his not hunting for mares or stallions but being very child like lol
8967355
Especially with the comic with Shining, I'm giving Blueblood the benefit of the doubt about his character.
Defendant is synonymous with accused. You mean defender, or attorney.
Well, this is interesting.
History hasn't been kind to Machiavelli, mainly because he was so unmannerly as to actually write down the rules that the Powers That Be act under. He gave the game away.
ohh dis is good
I hope we see some ponies from the gallery called as witnesses.
Miss Milk doesn't deserve a husband at all, but canon gave her one so let's make him unfaithful. Good idea, and also an explanation for that one thing that happened in a dream before she actually showed up. (For those playing at home, I'm so adamant about her not deserving to be married that I'm using an honorific for unmarried women followed by her maiden name to refer to her)
I'm pretty sure Machiavelli's book was also meant to be a criticism against those ruling the power at the time?
Honestly, go look at Overly Sarcastic Productions and their episode on him, its very insightful.
Not too happy about the fact you made Flithy Rich a cheater either... just, seems cheap to his character.