Men sooner forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony

Men are always averse to enterprises in which they foresee difficulties.

I believe that it is possible for one to praise, without concern, any man after he is dead since every reason and supervision for adulation is lacking.

He who desires or attempts to reform the government of a state and wishes to have it accepted, must at least retain the semblance of the old forms; so that it may seem to the people that there has been no change in the institutions, even though in fact they are entirely different from the old ones. For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities.

Sometimes it has been of great moment while the fight is going on, to disseminate words that pronounce the enemies' captain to be dead, or to have been conquered by another part of the army. Many times this has given victory to him who used it.

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

Speaking generally, men are ungrateful, fickle, hypocritical, fearful odanger and covetous ogain.