You must never believe that the enemy does not know how to conduct his own affairs. Indeed, if you want to be deceived less and want to bear less danger, the more the enemy is weak or the less the enemy is cautious, so much more must you esteem him.

There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.

Men are more ready to offend one who desires to be beloved than one who wishes to be feared.

It is much better to tempt fortune where it can favor you than to see your certain ruin by not tempting it.

For one change always leaves a dovetail into which another will fit.

Decide which is the line of conduct that presents the fewest drawbacks and then follow it out as being the best one, because one never finds anything perfectly pure and unmixed, or exempt from danger.

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