Read the passage from chapter 17 of The Princes
Cesare Borgia was considered cruel notwithstanding,
his cruelty reconciled the Romagna, unified it, and
restored it to peace and loyalty. And if this be rightly
considered, he will be seen to have been much more
merciful than the Florentine people, who, to avoid a
reputation for cruelty, permitted Pistoia to be destroyed.
Mark this and return
How does the passage support Machiavelli's claim that
a ruler must sometimes be cruel?
with an appeal to emotions
with a historical example
with anecdotal evidence
with empirical evidence