"My mistresses do not in the least engage my feelings. Power is my mistress."

"I am sometimes a fox and sometimes a lion. The whole secret of government lies in knowing when to be the one or the other."

"There is no such thing as an accident; it is only a consequence of a neglected duty."

"In politics, an absurdity is not an obstacle."

"One must not lose the opportunity of striking when the iron is hot."