We must consult our means rather than our wishes.

The stupid speak of the past, the wise of the present, and fools of the future.

Better to have a known enemy than a forced ally.

The keys of a fortress are always well worth the retirement of the garrison when it is resolved to yield only on those conditions. On this principle it is always wiser to grant an honorable capitulation to a garrison which has made a vigorous resistance than to risk an assault.

There is but one step from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Never depend on the multitude, full of instability and whims; always take precautions against it.