"Men are by nature much more inclined to evil than to good; and therefore, if you would have the good, you must put them under the necessity of being so."

"For it must be noted that men ought either to be well treated or crushed, because they can avenge slight injuries, but not severe ones; hence the injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such…"

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

"It is better to be a good prophet than a good poet."

"It is a common error among men to believe that the shortest way to conquer a thing is to try to obtain it by force."