There is no other way of guarding against adulation, than to make people understand that they will not offend you by speaking the truth. On the other… - Niccolò Machiavelli

There is no other way to guard yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the truth will not offend you.

There is no other way of guarding oneself against flattery than by letting men understand that they will not offend you by speaking the truth; but when everyone can tell you the truth, you lose their respect.

Upon this, one has to remark that men ought either to be well treated or crushed because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries; of more serious ones they cannot, therefore the injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of revenge.

Time sweeps everything along and can bring good as well as evil, evil as well as good.

It is not titles that honour men, but men that honour titles.