The vulgar is always taken by appearances and the result of things; and the world consists only of the vulgar, and the few find a place when the many have nothing to rest upon.
The lion cannot protect himself from snares, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognise snares, and a lion to frighten wolves.
The injury therefore that we do to a man must be such that we need not fear his vengeance.
Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.
Whoever desires to found a state and give it laws, must start with assuming that all men are bad and ever ready to display their vicious nature, whenever they may find occasion for it.
Whoever considers the past and the present will readily observe that all cities and all peoples are and ever have been animated by the same desires and the same passions.
Where the willingness is great the difficulties cannot be great.
When neither their property nor their honor is touched, the majority of men live content.
We cannot attribute to fortune or merit that which he achieved without either.
War was not to be avoided, and could be deferred only to the advantage of the other side.
War is just which is necessary, and arms are hallowed when there is no other hope but in them.
There is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things.
