Machiavelli's teaching would hardly have stood the test of Parliamentary government, for public discussion demands at least the profession of good faith.
Moral precepts are constant through the ages and not obedient to circumstances.
The strong man with the dagger is followed by the weak man with the sponge.
Towns were the nursery of freedom.
Remember that one touch of ill-nature makes the whole world kin.
Limitation is essential to authority. A government is legitimate only if it is effectively limited.