Men as a whole judge more with their eyes than with their hands.

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

I hold it to be a proof of great prudence for men to abstain from threats and insulting words toward anyone, for neither diminishes the strength of the enemy.

Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not to suffer.

Delusion gives you more happiness than truth gives to me. For injuries ought to be done all at one time, so that, being tasted less, they offend less; benefits ought to be given little by little, so that the flavour of them may last longer.

It is a common failing of man not to take account of tempests during fair weather.

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