"Men are so simple and yield so readily to the necessities of the moment that he who deceives will always find someone who will let himself be deceived."

"A prince, therefore, must not mind incurring the charge of cruelty for the purpose of keeping his subjects united and loyal; for, with a very few examples, he will be more merciful than those who, fro…"

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

"The common people are always caught by appearances and by the outcome of a thing; and in the world there are only the common people."

"The injury that is to be done to a man must be such that one need not fear his revenge."