Benefits should be granted little by little, so that they may be better enjoyed.

It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.

A prudent man... must behave like those archers who, if they are skillful, when the target seems too distant, know the capabilities of their bow and aim a good deal higher than their objective, not in order to shoot so high but so that by aiming high they can reach the target.

Never do your enemy a minor injury.

And when neither their property nor honour is touched, the majority of men live content, and he has only to contend with the ambition of a few, whom he can curb with ease in many ways.

Since it is difficult to join them together, it is safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the two must be lacking.

We have not seen great things done in our time except by those who have been considered mean; the rest have failed.