Women are all so far Machiavellians that they are never either good or bad by halves; their passions are too strong, and their reason too weak, to do anything with moderation.

Absolute power can only be supported by error, ignorance and prejudice.

To have frequent recourse to narrative betrays great want of imagination.

There is hardly anybody good for everything, and there is scarcely anybody who is absolutely good for nothing.

In the course of the world, a man must very often put on an easy, frank countenance, upon very disagreeable occasions; he must seem pleased, when he is very much otherwise; he must be able to accost and receive with smiles, those whom he would much rather meet with swords.

Whoever is in a hurry shows that the thing he is about is too big for him.

Arbitrary power has seldom... been introduced in any country at once. It must be introduced by slow degrees, and as it were step by step.