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.

Men are driven by two principal impulses, either by love or by fear.

Hence it comes that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed.

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.

Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good. Hence a prince who wants to keep his authority must learn how not to be good, and use that knowledge, or refrain from using it, as necessity requires.

He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.

For a long time I have not said what I believed, nor do I ever believe what I say, and if indeed sometimes I do happen to tell the truth, I hide it among so many lies that it is hard to find.