I hold it to be a proof of great prudence for men to abstain from threats and insulting words toward anyone, for neither diminishes the strength of the enemy.

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

No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.

...people are by nature fickle, and it is easy to persuade them of something, but difficult to keep them persuaded.

Hatred may be engendered by good deeds as well as bad ones.

Nothing feeds upon itself as liberality does.

We have not seen great things done in our time except by those who have been considered mean; the rest have failed.

Is necessary to take such measures that, when they believe no longer, it may be possible to make them believe by force.

So as a prince is forced to know how to act like a beast, he must learn from the fox and the lion; becouse the lion is defenceless against traps and the fox is defenceless against wolves. Therefore one must be a fox in order to recognise traps and lion to frighten off wolves.

To be feared is much safer then to be loved.