Men are so simple of mind, and so much dominated by their immediate needs, that a deceitful man will always find plenty who are ready to be deceived.

Men are more apt to be mistaken in their generalizations than in their particular observations.

In conclusion, the arms of others either fall from your back, or they weigh you down, or they bind you fast.

Violence must be inflicted once for all; people will then forget what it tastes like and so be less resentful. Benefits must be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better.

Men ought either to be well treated, or crushed.

For the mob is always impressed by appearances and by results, and the world is composed of the mob.

If someone puts up the argument that King Louis gave the Romagna to Pope Alexander, and the kingdom of Naples to Spain, in order to avoid a war, I would answer as I did before: that you should never let things get out of hand in order to avoid war. You don't avoid such a war, you merely postpone it, to your own disadvantage.