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. > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/