First Book.Of the principles ofhuman society 3
First Article.Man is made to live in society 3
Article Ⅱ.The society of mankind gives birth to civil society,that is to say,to states,peoples,and nations 8
Article Ⅲ.To form nations and unite the people,it is necessary to have a government 14
Article Ⅳ.On laws 19
Article Ⅴ.Consequences of the general principles of humanity 24
Article Ⅵ.On the love of country 27
Conclusion.To conclude this book,and to reduce it to an abstract 36
Second Book.On authority:that the royal and hereditary [type] is the most proper for government 39
First Article.By whom authority has been exercised since the beginning of the world 39
Article Ⅱ[on the right of conquest] 52
Conclusion 54
Third Book.In which one begins to explain the nature and the properties of royal authority 57
First Article.Taking notice of the essential characteristics 57
Article Ⅱ.Royal authority is sacred 57
Article Ⅲ.Royal authority is paternal,and its proper character is goodness 62
Fourth Book.On the characteristics of royalty(continuation) 81
First Article.Royal authority is absolute 81
Second Article.On softness,irresolution and false firmness 96
Fifth Book.Fourth and final characteristic of royal authority 103
First Article.Royal authority is subject to reason 103
Article Ⅱ.Means by which the prince can acquire necessary knowledge 129
Article Ⅲ.On dangerous curiosities and kinds of knowledge:and on the confidence one must place in God 154
ArticleⅣ.Consequences of the preceding doctrine:concerning majesty and its adjuncts 160
Sixth Book.The duties of subjects toward the prince,based on the preceding doctrine 167
First Article.On the service one owes to the king 167
Article Ⅱ.On the obedience due to the prince 173
Article Ⅲ.Two difficulties drawn from Scripture:David and the Maccabees 184
Seventh Book.On the particular duties of royalty 191
First Article.General division of the prince's duties 191
Article Ⅱ.On religion,inasmuch as it is the good of nations and of civil society 192
Article Ⅲ.That the true religion is known through perceptible marks 196
Article Ⅳ.Errors of men of the world and statesmen concerning the affairs and practices of religion 211
Article Ⅴ.What care great kings have taken for the worship of God 223
Article Ⅵ.Religious motives peculiar to kings 244
Eighth Book.The particular duties of royalty,continued:of justice 259
First Article.That justice is founded on religion 259
Article Ⅱ.On government which is called arbitrary 263
Article Ⅲ.On legislation and on iudgments 268
Article Ⅳ.On the virtues which must accompany iustice 273
Article Ⅴ.Obstacles to iustice 281
Ninth Book.The supports ofroyalty:arms,riches or finances,and counsels 287
Article Ⅰ.On war and its just motives,general and particular 287
Article Ⅱ.On unjust motives for war 293
Article Ⅲ.On wars between citizens,together with their motives,and the rules which must be followed 302
Article Ⅳ.Though God made war for his people in an extraordinary and miraculous fashion,he wanted to harden them by giving them warlike kings and great captains 315
Article Ⅴ.On military virtues,institutions,orders,and exercises 322
Article Ⅵ.On peace and war:various observations on both of them 333
Tenth and Final Book.Continuation of helps to royalty:Riches or finances;Counsel;the inconveniences and temptations which accompany royalty:and the remedies that one can bring to them 345
Article Ⅰ.On riches or on finances.On commerce,and on taxes 345
Article Ⅱ.On counsel 357
Article Ⅲ.The prince is reminded of different characters of ministers or counselors:good,mixture of good and bad,and wicked 371
Article Ⅳ.To help the prince to know men well,one shows him,in a general way,some characters drawn by the Holy Spirit in the Books of Wisdom 383
Article Ⅴ.On the conduct of the prince in his family,and on the care he must have for his health 389
Article Ⅵ and Last.The disadvantages and temptations which accompany royalty,and the remedies that one can bring to them 394
Conclusion.In what the true happiness of kings consists 409
Index 411