good individuals cannot exist without good education, and good education cannot exist without good laws, - Niccolò Machiavelli

A sculptor will more easily extract a beautiful statue from a piece of rough marble than from one that has been badly blocked out by someone else.

For it must be noted, that men must either be caressed or else annihilated; they will revenge themselves for small injuries, but cannot do so for great ones; the injury therefore that we do to a man must be such that we need not fear his vengeance.

God is not willing to do everything, and thus take away our free will and that share of glory which belongs to us.