A ruler makes use of the majority and neglects the minority, and so he does not devote himself to virtue but to law.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
The intelligent ruler makes the law select men and makes no arbitrary appointment himself; he makes the law measure merits and makes no arbitrary judgment himself.
He who is to be a good ruler must have first been ruled.
The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.
A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side.
The only safe ruler is he who has learned to obey willingly.
No government can be strong and flourishing while the national character is weak and degraded. A government must flourish and decay with its subjects; and, when a prince makes a law or performs an action which has a tendency to injure the character or prosperity of the nation, he injures himself.
The nobility of a human being is strictly independent of that of his convictions.
It is not a sign of arrogance for the king to rule. That is what he is there for.
Who to himself is law, no law doth need, offends no law, and is a king indeed.
Tyrants have always some slight shade of virtue; they support the laws before destroying them.