"The people, when they have a good leader, are not afraid to fight; and if they are not afraid, they are strong."

"I say that there are three kinds of brains: one that understands things by itself, one that can appreciate what others understand, and one that understands neither by itself nor through others."

"If a prince wants to keep his state, he must learn how to be not good, and to use or not use this according to the necessity."

"Hatred is acquired as much by good works as by evil."

"It is not fortune, but their own indolence, that causes men to abandon themselves to their fate."