"War," says Machiavelli, "ought to be the only study of a prince;" and by a prince he means every sort of state, however constituted. "He ought," says this great political doctor, "to consider peace only as a breathing-time, which gives him leisure to contrive, and furnishes ability to execute military plans." A meditation on the conduct of political societies made old Hobbes imagine that war was the state of nature.

The only infallible criterion of wisdom to vulgar minds - success.

This sort of people are so taken up with their theories about the rights of man that they have totally forgotten his nature.

Hypocrisy can afford to be magnificent in its promises, for never intending to go beyond promise, it costs nothing.

We must all obey the great law of change. It is the most powerful law of nature.

You will smile here at the consistency of those democratists who, when they are not on their guard, treat the humbler part of the community with the greatest contempt, whilst, at the same time they pretend to make them the depositories of all power.

Politics and the pulpit are terms that have little agreement.