A wise ruler should rely on what is under his own control, not on what is under the control of others..

Never was anything great achieved without danger..

Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that t….

There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt..

Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are..

A sign of intelligence is an awareness of one's own ignorance..

Always assume incompetence before looking for conspiracy..

A battle that you win cancels all your mistakes..

All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it's impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes o….

The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him..

Before all else, be armed..

it is better to act and repent than not to act and regret..

Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration..

The ends justifies the means..

Women are the most charitable creatures, and the most troublesome. He who shuns women passes up the trouble, but also the benefits. He who puts up wi….

You know better than I that in a Republic talent is always suspect. A man attains an elevated position only when his mediocrity prevents him from bei….

The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it..

Power is the pivot on which everything hinges. He who has the power is always right; the weaker is always wrong..

One should never fall in the belief that you can find someone to pick you up..

A government which does not trust its citizens to be armed is not itself to be trusted..

The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion….