People should either be caressed or crushed. If you do them minor damage they will get their revenge; but if you cripple them there is nothing they can do. If you need to injure someone, do it in such a way that you do not have to fear their vengeance.

Men ought either to be well treated or crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot; therefore the injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of revenge.

Never do an enemy a small injury.

Men should be either treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries - for heavy ones they cannot

Verträge bricht man um des Nutzens willen.

Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer.