A man who wishes to make a profession of goodness in everything must necessarily come to grief among so many who are not good. Therefore, it is necessary for a prince, who wishes to maintain himself, to learn how not to be good, and to use this knowledge and not use it according to the necessity of the case.

When neither their property nor their honor is touched, the majority of men live content.

When you disarm your subjects, however, you offend them by showing that either from cowardliness or lack of faith, you distrust them; and either conclusion will induce them to hate you.

In order not to annul our free will, I judge it true that Fortune may be mistress of one half our actions but then even she leaves the other half, or almost, under our control.

Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.

Men shrink less from offending one who inspires love than one who inspires fear.

Present wars impoverish the lords that win as much as those that lose.