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

Ambition is so powerful a passion in the human breast, that however high we reach we are never satisfied.

The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.

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.

A prudent man should always follow in the footsteps of great men and imitate those who have been outstanding. If his own prowess fails to compare with theirs, at least it has an air of greatness about it.

I shall always esteem it not much to live in a city where the laws do less than men, because that fatherland is desirable where possessions and friends can be securely enjoyed, not where they can be easily taken from you, and friends for few of thems