Cultivate those who can teach you.
Politeness and a sense of honor have this advantage: we bestow them on others without losing a thing.
Knowledge and courage take turns at greatness.
They make the greatest show of what they have done, who have done least.
You have to appear wiser and more prudent than is required by the people you are dealing with if you want to give a high opinion of yourself.
No one demands more caution than a spy, and when someone has the skeleton key to minds, counter him by leaving the key of caution inside, on the other side of the keyhole.