Machiavelli's address of Fortune was a topic that intrigued me as well upon reading it in chapter twenty-five. The fact that he states that fortune is inevitable rather it is good or bad, but what truly caught my eye was that Machiavelli states that it is the prince that must be the one to be ready for fortune to strike and do everything that he can before hand to limit the effects of fortune. The fact that he compares fortune to as you stated in your post "one of those violent torrents that flood the plains,destroying the trees and buildings hurling earth from one place to another...and everyone yields to the force with being able to stand up to it". Yet it was Machiavelli who stated that the Prince must be able to stand up to fortune. I find it intriguing that he once again holds the prince to a different standard than those of regular citizens.
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