Read the passage from chapter 17 of The Prince.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.

Machiavelli supports his claim by comparing Cesare Borgia’s rule in the Romagna with the Florentines’ treatment of Pistoia. These are historical events used to illustrate his point that decisive cruelty can prevent greater disorder. That makes the passage an argument with a historical example, not an appeal to emotion or a set of measured data.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.