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

A return to first principles in a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example.

For this is the tragedy of man circumstances change, but he does not.

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

Always assume incompetence before looking for conspiracy.

Nature that framed us of four elements, warring within our breasts for regiment, doth teach us all to have aspiring minds.

The main foundations of every state, new states as well as ancient or composite ones, are good laws and good arms you cannot have good laws without good arms, and where there are good arms, good laws inevitably follow.