They really are bad shots.

Never relinquish the initiative.

Nothing builds authority up like silence, splendor of the strong and shelter of the weak.

One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day was; one cannot judge life until death.

Nothing more enhances authority than silence. It is the crowning virtue of the strong, the refuge of the weak, the modesty of the proud, the pride of the humble, the prudence of the wise, and the sense of fools. To speak is to . . . dissipate one's strength; whereas what action demands is concentration. Silence is a necessary preliminary to the ordering of one's thoughts.

One can unite the French only under the threat of danger. One cannot simply bring together a nation that produces 265 kinds of cheese.

These people really aim very badly.