...people are by nature fickle, and it is easy to persuade them of something, but difficult to keep them persuaded.

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

From the latter he is defended by being well armed and having good allies, and if he is well armed he will have good friends, and affairs will always remain quiet within when they are quiet without, unless they should have been already disturbed by conspiracy; and even should affairs outside be disturbed, if he has carried out his preparations and has lived as I have said, as long as he does not despair, he will resist every attack.

The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.

Men rise from one ambition to another: first, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others.

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

He who blinded by ambition, raises himself to a position whence he cannot mount higher, must thereafter fall with the greatest loss.