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Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes - Page 12

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For that reason, let a prince have the credit of conquering and holding his state, the means will always be considered honest, and he will be praised by everybody because the vulgar are always taken by what a thing

For that reason, let a prince have the credit of conquering and holding his state, the means will always be considered honest, and he will be praised by everybody because the vulgar are always taken by what a thing seems to be and by what comes of it; and in the world there are only the vulgar, for the few find a place there only when the many have no ground to rest on.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Taken, Mean, Credit
Niccolo Machiavelli (2010). “The Prince”, p.73, FastPencil Inc

And if such malignity is hidden for a time, it proceeds from the unknown reason that would not be known because the experience of the contrary had not been seen, but time, which is said to be the father of every truth, will cause it to be discovered.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, Father, War
"Discourses on Livy". Book by Niccolo Machiavelli, Book 1, Ch. 3, 1517.

A prince, therefore, must not mind incurring the charge of cruelty for the purpose of keeping his subjects united and confident; for, with a very few examples, he will be more merciful than those who, from excess of tenderness, allow disorders to arise, from whence spring murders and rapine; for these as a rule injure the whole community, while the executions carried out by the prince injure only one individual. And of all princes, it is impossible for a new prince to escape the name of cruel, new states being always full of dangers.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, Spring, War
"The Prince". Book by Niccolò Machiavelli, ch. 17, as translated by Luigi Ricci (1903), 1513.

It makes him hated above all things, as I have said, to be rapacious, and to be a violator of the property and women of his subjects, from both of which he must abstain.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Said
Niccolo Machiavelli (2015). “The Prince”, p.80, Xist Publishing

War brings out thieves and peace hangs them.

Niccolo Machiavelli
War, Thieves

And it will always happen that he who is not your friend will request your neutrality and he who is your friend will ask you to declare yourself by taking up arms. And irresolute princes, in order to avoid present dangers, follow the neutral road most of the time, and most of the time they are ruined.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Order, Neutrality, Arms
Niccolo Machiavelli (1979). “The Portable Machiavelli”, p.108, Penguin

The forces of adversaries are more diminished by the loss of those who flee than of those who are killed.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Loss

It is much safer for the prince to be feared than loved, but he ought to avoid making himself hated.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Hated, Ought

The one who adapts his policy to the times prospers, and likewise that the one whose policy clashes with the demands of the times does not.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Business, Doe, Literature

How laudable it is for a prince to keep good faith and live with integrity, and not with astuteness, every one knows. Still the experience of our times shows those princes to have done great things who have had little regard for good faith, and have been able by astuteness to confuse men's brains, and who have ultimately overcome those who have made loyalty their foundation.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Loyalty, Art, Integrity
Niccolo Machiavelli (2017). “The Prince”, p.55, Knickerbocker Classics

From the latter he is defended by being well armed and having good allies, and if he is well armed he will have good friends, and affairs will always remain quiet within when they are quiet without, unless they should have been already disturbed by conspiracy; and even should affairs outside be disturbed, if he has carried out his preparations and has lived as I have said, as long as he does not despair, he will resist every attack.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Good Friend
Niccolo Machiavelli (2010). “The Prince”, p.76, FastPencil Inc

A man who wishes to make a profession of goodness in everything must necessarily come to grief among so many who are not good. Therefore, it is necessary for a prince, who wishes to maintain himself, to learn how not to be good, and to use this knowledge and not use it according to the necessity of the case.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Grief, Men, Political
"The Prince".

Every little advantage is of great moment when men have to come to blows.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Blow

For as good habits of the people require good laws to support them, so laws, to be observed, need good habits on the part of the people.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Law, People, Support

I am firmly convinced, therefore, that to set up a republic which is to last a long time, the way to set about it is to constitute it as Sparta and Venice were constituted; to place it in a strong position, and so to fortify it that no one will dream of taking it by a sudden assault; and, on the other hand, not to make it so large as to appear formidable to its neighbors. It should in this way be able to enjoy its form of government for a long time. For war is made on a commonwealth for two reasons: to subjugate it, and for fear of being subjugated by it.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Dream, Art, Strong
"Discourses on Livy" by Niccolò Machiavelli, book 1, ch. 3, as translated by LJ Walker and B Crick, 1517.

Therefore, in order not to have to rob his subjects, to be able to defend himself, not to become poor and contemptible, and not to be forced to become rapacious, a prince must consider it of little importance if he incurs the name of miser, for this is one of the vices that permits him to rule.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Order, Vices, Littles
"The Portable Machiavelli".

To keep your actions and your plans secret always has been a very good thing . .. Marcus Crassus said to one who asked him when he was going to move the army: 'Do you believe that you will be the only one not to hear the trumpet?

Niccolo Machiavelli
Believe, Moving, Army

In our own days we have seen no princes accomplish great results save those who have been accounted miserly.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Results, Accomplish, Has Beens
Niccolo Machiavelli, Thomas Moore (2010). “Machiavelli, More & Luther”, p.55, Cosimo, Inc.

The prince must consider, as has been in part said before, how to avoid those things which will make him hated or contemptible; and as often as he shall have succeeded he will have fulfilled his part, and he need not fear any danger in other reproaches.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Art, War, Needs
Niccolo Machiavelli (2015). “The Prince”, p.80, Xist Publishing

We cannot attribute to fortune or virtue that which is achieved without either.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Philosophical, Umpires, Literature
Niccolo Machiavelli (2017). “The Prince”, p.28, Knickerbocker Classics

Besides what has been said, people are fickle by nature; and it is a simple to convince them of something but difficult to hold them in that conviction; and, therefore, affairs should be managed in such a way that when they no longer believe, they can be made to believe by force.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Believe, Simple, People
Niccolo Machiavelli (1979). “The Portable Machiavelli”, p.67, Penguin

He who has not first laid his foundations may be able with great ability to lay them afterwards, but they will be laid with trouble to the architect and danger to the building.

Niccolo Machiavelli
May, Able, Firsts
Niccolo Machiavelli (2010). “The Prince”, p.24, FastPencil Inc

Many have dreamed up republics and principalities that have never in truth been known to exist; the gulf between how one should live and how one does live is so wide that a man who neglects what is actually done for what should be done learns the way to self-destruction rather than self-preservation.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Men, Self, Doe

For among other evils caused by being disarmed, it renders you contemptible; which is one of those disgraceful things which a prince must guard against.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Gun, Evil, Gun Control
Niccolo Machiavelli (2017). “The Prince”, p.46, Knickerbocker Classics

Because just as good morals, if they are to be maintained, have need of the laws, so the laws, if they are to be observed, have need of good morals.

Niccolo Machiavelli
Law, Needs, Politics
"Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius". Book by Niccolò Machiavelli, trans. Allan Gilbert, book 1, chapter 18, p. 241, 1965.

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