The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous.

Tardiness often robs us opportunity, and the dispatch of our forces.

The reformer has enemies in all who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order.

Wisdom consists in being able to distinguish among dangers and make a choice of the least harmful.

Then also pretexts for seizing property are never wanting, and one who begins to live by rapine will always find some reason for taking the goods of others, whereas causes for taking life are rarer and more quickly destroyed.

For government consists in nothing else but so controlling subjects that they shall neither be able to, nor have cause to do [it] harm.

Gold will not always get you good soldiers, but good soldiers can get you gold.