“The wish to acquire more is admittedly a very natural and common thing; and when men succeed in this they are always praised rather than condemned.”

Before all else, be armed.

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

There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt.

It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.

There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.

One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived.

Hence it comes about that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed.

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

Men are so simple and yield so readily to the desires of the moment that he who will trick will always find another who will suffer to be tricked.

One change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others.

Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.

So that the injury done to a man ought to be such that vengeance cannot be feared.

It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope.

Men ought either to be indulged or utterly destroyed, for if you merely offend them they take vengeance, but if you injure them greatly they are unable to retaliate.

The main foundations of every state, new states as well as ancient or composite ones, are good laws and good arms you cannot have good laws without good arms, and where there are good arms, good laws inevitably follow.

It is much more secure to be feared than to be loved.