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

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

"Men must either be caressed or annihilated; they will revenge themselves for slight wrongs, but not for great ones."

"There are three kinds of intellect: one which comprehends by itself; another that discerns what another comprehends; and a third which comprehends neither by itself nor by the showing of another."

"And it ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order…"