And truly it is a very natural and ordinary thing to desire to acquire, and always, when men do it who can, they will be praised or not blamed; but when they cannot, and wish to do it anyway, here lies the error and the blame.

A blast in the human breast is nothing to boast of.

Men are always wicked at bottom unless they are made good by some compulsion.

With difficulty he is beaten who can estimate his own forces and those of his enemy.

Men shrink less from offending one who inspires love than one who inspires fear.

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.

Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.