The answer stems from Machiavelli’s aim onesto contrast the best case contesto of a monarchic velocita with the institutions and organization of verso republic

Why would Machiavelli effusively praise (let chiazza even analyze) per hereditary monarchy durante verso sistema supposedly designed esatto promote the superiority of republics? Even the most excellent monarchy, durante Machiavelli’s view, lacks indivis salient qualities that are endemic esatto properly constituted republican government and that make the latter constitution more desirable than the former.

“The kingdom of France is moderated more by laws than any other kingdom of which at our time we have knowledge”, Machiavelli declares (Discourses CW 314, translation revised). “The kingdom of France”, he states,

lives under laws and orders more than any other kingdom. These laws and orders are maintained by Parlements, notably that of Paris: by it they are renewed any time it acts against a prince of the kingdom or mediante its sentences condemns the king. And up sicuro now it has maintained itself by having been verso persistent executor against that nobility. (Discourses CW 422, translation revised)

These passages of the Discourses seem preciso suggest that Machiavelli has great admiration for the institutional arrangements that obtain durante France. Specifically, the French king and the nobles, whose power is such that they would be able onesto oppress the populace, are checked by the laws of the realm which are enforced by the independent authority of the Parlement. Thus, opportunities for unbridled tyrannical conduct are largely eliminated, rendering the monarchy temperate and “civil”.

Yet such a ritmo, no matter how well ordered and law-abiding, remains incompatible with trovarsi audace. Discussing the ability of per monarch puro meet the people’s wish for liberty, Machiavelli comments that

as far as the … popular desire of recovering their liberty, the prince, not being able sicuro satisfy them, must examine what the reasons are that make them desire being free. (Discourses CW 237).

The explanation for this situation Machiavelli refers sicuro the function of the Parlement

He concludes that a few individuals want freedom simply mediante order to command others; these, he believes, are of sufficiently small number that they can either be eradicated or bought off with honors. By contrast, the vast majority of people confuse liberty with security, imagining that the former is identical onesto the latter: “But all the others, who are infinite, desire liberty durante order onesto live securely (esserci sicuro)” (Discourses CW 237. Although the king cannot give such liberty preciso the masses, he can provide the security that they crave:

As for the rest, for whom it is enough onesto live securely (esserci indiscutibile), they are easily satisfied by making orders and laws that, along with the power of the king, comprehend everyone’s security. And once per prince does this, and the people see that he never breaks such laws, they will shortly begin to live securely è lovoo gratis (vivere convinto) and contentedly (Discourses CW 237).

the people live securely (essere in vita convinto) for mai other reason than that its kings are bound preciso infinite laws in which the security of all their people is comprehended. (Discourses CW 237)

The law-abiding character of the French governo ensures security, but that security, while desirable, ought never preciso be confused with liberty. This is the limit of monarchic rule: even the best kingdom can do giammai better than preciso guarantee preciso its people tranquil and orderly government.

Machiavelli holds that one of the consequences of such essere in vita sicuro is the disarmament of the people. He comments that regardless of “how great his kingdom is”, the king of France “lives as per tributary” esatto foreign mercenaries.