but little to fortune and have depended on their own forces.  The list he furnishes, when tested by modern notions of history, is to say the least a curious one.  It contains Moses, Cyrus, Romulus, and Theseus.  Having mentioned Moses first, Machiavelli proceeds to explain that, though we have to regard him as the mere instrument of God’s purpose, yet the principles on which the other founders acted were ’not different from those which Moses derived from so supreme a teacher.’  What these men severally owed to fortune was but the occasion for the display of the greatness that was in them.  Moses found the people of Israel enslaved in Egypt.  Romulus was an exile from Alba.  Cyrus had to deal with the Persian people tired of the empire of effeminate Medes.  Theseus undertook to unite the scattered elements of the Athenian nation.  Thus each of these founders had an opening provided for him, by making use of which he was able to bring his illustrious qualities into play.  The achievement in each case was afterwards due solely to his own ability, and the conquest which he made with difficulty was preserved with ease.  This exordium is not without practical importance, as will be seen when we reach the application of the whole argument to the house of Medici at the conclusion of the treatise.  The initial obstacles which an innovator has to overcome, meanwhile, are enormous.  ’He has for passionate foes all such as flourish under the old order, for friends those who might flourish under the new; but these are lukewarm, partly from fear of their opponents, on whose side are established law and right, partly from the incredulity which prevents men from putting faith in what is novel and untried.’  It therefore becomes a matter of necessity that the innovator should be backed up with force, that he should be in a position to command and not obliged to sue for aid.  This is the reason why all the prophets who have used arms to enforce their revelations have succeeded, and why those who have only trusted to their personal ascendency have failed.  Moses, of course, is an illustrious example of the successful prophet.  Savonarola is adduced as a notable instance of a reformer ’who was ruined in his work of innovation as soon as the multitude lost their faith in him, since he had no means of keeping those who had believed firm, or of compelling faith from disbelievers.’  In this critique Machiavelli remains true to his positive and scientific philosophy of human nature.  He will not allow that there are other permanent agencies in the world than the calculating ability of resolute men and the might derived from physical forces.