It is the nature of ambition to make men liars and cheats, to hide the truth in their breasts, and show, like jugglers, another thing in their mouths, to cut all friendships and enmities to the measure of their own interest, and to make a good countenance without the help of good will.

Small endeavours obtain strength by unity of action: the most powerful are broken down by discord.

One can ever assume to be what he is not, and to conceal what he is.

The renown which riches or beauty confer is fleeting and frail mental excellence is a splendid and lasting possession.

It is sweet to surve one country by deeds, and it is not absurd to surve her by words.

Those most moved to tears by every word of a preacher are generally weak and a rascal when the feelings evaporate.

Now the myths represent the Gods themselves and the goodness of the Gods subject always to the distinction of the speakable and the unspeakable, the revealed and the unrevealed, that which is clear and that which is hidden: since, just as the Gods have made the goods of sense common to all, but those of intellect only to the wise, so the myths state the existence of Gods to all, but who and what they are only to those who can understand.