Government is necessary, not because man is naturally bad... but because man is by nature more individualistic than social.

The reputation of power IS power.

Scientia potentia est, sed parva; quia scientia egregia rara est, nec proinde apparens nisi paucissimis, et in paucis rebus. Scientiae enim ea natura est, ut esse intelligi non possit, nisi ab illis qui sunt scientia praediti.

Emulation is grief arising from seeing one's self, exceeded or excelled by his concurrent, together with hope to equal or exceed him in time to come, by his own ability. But envy is the same grief joined with pleasure conceived in the imagination of some ill-fortune that may befall him.

If I read as many books as most men do, I would be as dull-witted as they are.

Prudence is a presumption of the future, contracted from the experience of time past.

For it is not the shape, but their use, that makes them angels.