I wish to weigh in on the query.  I would render it as

The men live in few or men live in the few.  Considering his political
and social views it is likely that he is refering to the few people
whose ideas matter (which for the bittered Pound was him and his
imagist buddies - and not the academics nor the Capitalists).  This
would be consistent with his rendering in the Cantos as well as how it
is generally rendered in _The Prince_ (although no such exact wording
exists), which is replete with Machiavelli's discussion of the few
people whose ideas matter to the Prince.  The allusion to Machiavelli
may exist, however, I am not certain of any scholarship investigating
such an allusion.  I am also not certain of the 1922 timing of the
letter and it's later relationshop to the much later written Cantos.
Maybe, Wayne could clafify his statements regarding the _Prince_ and
the Cantos?

Thanks, Stoner



I'm surprised at the lack of response on this query, forcing me out of
> my lethargy. The source is Machiavelli's <The Prince> and if memory
> serves, and it may not, Pound renders it in the Cantos and elsewhere
as
> "men live in the few." I.e., the few artists and thinkers whose ideas
> matter.
>
> Wayne
>
> jason sweitzer wrote:
>
> > The nearest i get to is:
> > men: only a few live
> > or
> > only a few men live
> >
> > Source unknown.
> >
> > --- Stephen Wilson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > > In Pound's Jan. 1922 Paris Letter (Dial Feb. 1922)
> > > the following Italian phrase occurs: Gli uomini
> > > vivono in pochi. Does anyone have a source for this?
> > > Can anyone suggest a good English translation?
> > >
> > > Stephen Wilson.
> >



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