...the incredulity of mankind, who do not truly believe in anything new until they have had actual experience of it.

Gold will not always get you good soldiers, but good soldiers can get you gold.

As the observance of divine institutions is the cause of the greatness of republics, so the disregard of them produces their ruin; for where the fear of God is wanting, there the country will come to ruin, unless it be sustained the fear of the prince, which temporarily supply the want of religion.

Because there are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others; the first is the most excellent, the second is good, the third is useless.

For government consists in nothing else but so controlling subjects that they shall neither be able to, nor have cause to do [it] harm.

When every province of the world so teems with inhabitants that they can neither subsist where they are nor remove themselves elsewhere.

A blast in the human breast is nothing to boast of.