"The princes who have done great things..." - Quote by Niccolo Machiavelli

“Occasionally words must serve to veil the facts. But let this happen in such a way that no one become aware of it; or, if it should be noticed, excuses must be at hand to be produced immediately.”

“The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous.”

“The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all.”

“In popular government results worth while can only be achieved by men who combine worthy ideals with practical good sense.”

“When taxes are too high, people go hungry. When the government is too intrusive, people lose their spirit. Act for the people's benefit. Trust them; leave them alone.”

“A leader can give up anything - except final responsibility.”

“I quietly declare war with the State, after my fashion, though I will still make use and get advantage of her as I can, as is usual in such cases.”

“Decide which is the line of conduct that presents the fewest drawbacks and then follow it out as being the best one, because one never finds anything perfectly pure and unmixed, or exempt from danger.”

“When it's impossible, it's better to stoop to compromise, without resisting and without complaining. People who complain are selfish.”