All states, all powers, that have held and hold rule over men have been and are either republics or principalities.
All states and powers that have ever ruled people, or rule them today, are either republics or principalities.
Principalities are either hereditary, in which the family has been long established; or they are new.
Principalities are either hereditary, with a ruling family long established in power, or new.
The new are either entirely new, as was Milan to Francesco Sforza, or they are, as it were, members annexed to the hereditary state of the prince who has acquired them, as was the kingdom of Naples to that of the King of Spain.
New states are either entirely new, as Milan was for Francesco Sforza. Or they are territories added to the acquiring prince’s hereditary state. The kingdom of Naples, added to the King of Spain’s state, was one example.
Such dominions thus acquired are either accustomed to live under a prince, or to live in freedom; and are acquired either by the arms of the prince himself, or of others, or else by fortune or by ability.
States acquired in this way are used to living either under a prince or in freedom. They are acquired through the prince’s own forces or those of others, or through luck or ability.