Men are able to assist fortune but not to thwart her. They can weave her designs, but they cannot destroy them.

He who desires or attempts to reform the government of a state and wishes to have it accepted, must at least retain the semblance of the old forms; so that it may seem to the people that there has been no change in the institutions, even though in fact they are entirely different from the old ones. For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities.

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

A son can bear with equanimity the loss of his father, but the loss of his inheritance may drive him to despair.

Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration.

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

Sometimes it has been of great moment while the fight is going on, to disseminate words that pronounce the enemies' captain to be dead, or to have been conquered by another part of the army. Many times this has given victory to him who used it.