The main foundations of every state, new states as well as ancient or composite ones, are good laws and good arms you cannot have good laws without good arms, and where there are good arms, good laws inevitably follow.

A son could bear with great complacency, the death of his father, while the loss of his inheritance might drive him to despair.

Nevertheless, he must be cautious in believing and acting, and must not inspire fear of his own accord, and must proceed in a temperate manner with prudence and humanity, so that too much confidence does not render him incautious, and too much diffidence does not render him intolerant. From this arises the question whether it is better to be loved more than feared, or feared more than loved.

For it must be noted, that men must either be caressed or else annihilated; they will revenge themselves for small injuries, but cannot do so for great ones; the injury therefore that we do to a man must be such that we need not fear his vengeance.

....nothing is so unhealthy or unstable as the reputation for power that is not based on one's own power.

One arises from a low to a high station more often by using fraud instead of force.

To know well the nature of the people one must be a prince, and to know well the nature of princes one must be of the people.