The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.
I desire to go to Hell and not to Heaven. In the former I shall enjoy the company of popes, kings and princes, while in the latter are only beggars, monks and apostles
It is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved? It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both: but since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.
Men are so stupid and concerned with their present needs, they will always let themselves be deceived.
A wise ruler should rely on what is under his own control, not on what is under the control of others.
Wars begin when you will, but they do not end when you please.
The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.
One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived.
There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt.
Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good.
The unarmed man is not just defenseless - he is also contemptible.
There is nothing more important than appearing to be religious.
If you only notice human proceedings, you may observe that all who attain great power and riches, make use of either force or fraud; and what they have acquired either by deceit or violence, in order to conceal the disgraceful methods of attainment, they endeavor to sanctify with the false title of honest gains.
A battle that you win cancels all your mistakes.
Never do an enemy a small injury.
You must know, then, that there are two methods of fighting, the one by law, the other by force: the first method is that of men, the second of beasts; but as the first method is often insufficient, one must have recourse to the second.
The leader should know how to enter into evil when necessity commands.
Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not to suffer.
Make no small plans for they have no power to stir the soul.
Gold will not always get you good soldiers, but good soldiers can get you gold.
Rome remained free for four hundred years and Sparta eight hundred, although their citizens were armed all that time; but many other states that have been disarmed have lost their liberties in less than forty years.
I'm not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.
And what physicians say about disease is applicable here: that at the beginning a disease is easy to cure but difficult to diagnose; but as time passes, not having been recognized or treated at the outset, it becomes easy to diagnose but difficult to cure. The same thing occurs in affairs of state; for by recognizing from afar the diseases that are spreading in the state (which is a gift given only to the prudent ruler), they can be cured quickly; but when, not having been recognized, they are not recognized and are left to grow to the extent that everyone recognizes them, there is no longer any cure.
It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.
The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.
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