"Machiavelli on the Online Library Of Liberty"

“Voglio di nuovo addurre, in confermazione di questo, parole di Tito Livio; il quale, referendo come, essendo mandato da' Romani contro agli Equi Quinzio ed Agrippa suo collega, Agrippa volle che tutta l'amministrazione della guerra fosse appresso a Quinzio, e' dice: «Saluberrimum in administratione magnarum rerum est, summam imperii apud unum esse». Il che è contrario a quello che oggi fanno queste nostre republiche e principi di mandare ne' luoghi, per amministrargli meglio, più d'uno commessario e più d'uno capo: il che fa una inestimabile confusione. E se si cercassi le cagioni della rovina degli eserciti italiani e franciosi ne' nostri tempi, si troveria la potissima essere stata questa. E puossi conchiudere veramente, come egli è meglio mandare in una ispedizione uno uomo solo di comunale prudenzia, che due valentissimi uomini insieme con la medesima autorità.”

“The demands of a free populace, too, are very seldom harmful to liberty, for they are due either to the populace being oppressed or to the suspicious that it is going to be oppressed . . . and, should these impressions be false, a remedy is provided in the public platform on which some man of standing can get up, appeal to the crowd, and show that it is mistaken. And though, as Tully remarks, the populace may be ignorant, it is capable of grasping the truth and readily yields when a man, worthy of confidence, lays the truth before it.”

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

“...debbe un uomo prudente entrare sempre per vie battute da uomini grandi, e quelli che sono stati eccellentissimi, imitare...”

“A prince ought to have two fears, one from within, on account of his subjects, the other from without, on account of external powers. 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.”

“The chief foundations of all states, new as well as old or composite, are good laws and good arms; and as there cannot be good laws where the state is not well armed, it follows that where they are well armed they have good laws.”