Prudence therefore consists in knowing how to distinguish degrees of disadvantage.

One never finds anything perfectly pure and ... exempt from danger.

A wise man will see to it that his acts always seem voluntary and not done by compulsion, however much he may be compelled by necessity.

Severities should be dealt out all at once, so that their suddenness may give less offense; benefits ought to be handed ought drop by drop, so that they may be relished the more.

War should be the only study of a prince. He should consider peace only as a breathing-time, which gives him leisure to contrive, and furnishes as ability to execute, military plans.

So in all human affairs one notices, if one examines them closely, that it is impossible to remove one inconvenience without another emerging.

There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt.