One should never permit a disorder to persist in order to avoid a war, for wars cannot be avoided and can only be deferred to the advantage of others.

He who would foresee what is to happen should look to what has happened: for all that is has its counterpart in time past.

(A ruler) cannot and should not keep his word when to do so would go against his interests or when the reason he pledged it no longer holds.

And above all you ought to guard against leading an army to fight which is afraid or which is not confident of victory. For the greatest sign of an impending loss is when one does not believe one can win.

In our own days we have seen no princes accomplish great results save those who have been accounted miserly.

Princes should delegate to others the enactment of unpopular measures and keep in their own hands the means of winning favours.

My view is that it is desirable to be both loved and feared; but it is difficult to achieve both and, if one of them has to be lacking, it is much safer to be feared than loved.