Men seldom rise from low condition to high rank without employing either force or fraud, unless that rank should be attained either by gift or inheritance.

Men nearly always follow the tracks made by others and proceed in their affairs by imitation, even though they cannot entirely keep to the tracks of others or emulate the prowess of their models. So a prudent man should always follow in the footsteps of great men and imitate those who have been outstanding.

He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.

Those who either from imprudence or want of sagacity avoid doing so, are always overwhelmed with servitude and poverty; for faithful servants are always servants, and honest men are always poor; nor do any ever escape from servitude but the bold and faithless, or from poverty, but the rapacious and fraudulent.

Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration.

You have to be a prince to understand the people, and you have to belong to the people to understand the princes.

Among other evils which being unarmed brings you, it causes you to be despised.