The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.

Never was anything great achieved without danger.

Though fraud in all other actions be odious, yet in matters of war it is laudable and glorious, and he who overcomes his enemies by stratagem is as much to be praised as he who overcomes them by force.

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.

We cannot attribute to fortune or virtue that which is achieved without either.

The peasant wants only to be left alone to prosper in peace.

The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all.