"Ability is nothing without opportunity."

"Ability is of little account without opportunity."

"Men take only their needs into consideration - never their abilities."

"Power is my mistress. I have worked too hard at her conquest to allow anyone to take her away from me."

"There is one kind of robber whom the law does not strike at, and who steals what is most precious to men: time."

"There are only two forces that unite men - fear and interest."

"You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war."

"Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever."

"Time is one kind of robber whom the law does not strike at and who steals what is most precious to men."

"We must laugh at man to avoid crying for him."

"A man cannot become an atheist merely by wishing it."

"There are only two forces in the world, the sword and the spirit. In the long run the sword will always be conquered by the spirit."

"He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat."

"The herd seek out the great, not for their sake but for their influence; and the great welcome them out of vanity or need."

"If they want peace nations should avoid the pinpricks that precede cannon shots."

"Doctors will have more lives to answer for in the next world than even we generals."

"France has more need of me than I have need of France."

"Men are more easily governed through their vices than through their virtues."

"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."

"The heart of a statesman should be in his head."

"In order to govern, the question is not to follow out a more or less valid theory but to build with whatever materials are at hand. The inevitable must be accepted and turned to advantage."