If you only notice human proceedings, you may observe that all who attain great power and riches, make use of either force or fraud; and what they have acquired either by deceit or violence, in order to conceal the disgraceful methods of attainment, they endeavor to sanctify with the false title of honest gains.

How laudable it is for a prince to keep good faith and live with integrity, and not with astuteness, every one knows. Still the experience of our times shows those princes to have done great things who have had little regard for good faith, and have been able by astuteness to confuse men's brains, and who have ultimately overcome those who have made loyalty their foundation.

Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.

You have to be a prince to understand the people, and you have to belong to the people to understand the princes.

Nothing is of greater importance in time of war than in knowing how to make the best use of a fair opportunity when it is offered.

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.

Men are so stupid and concerned with their present needs, they will always let themselves be deceived.