"The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him."
"the wise man should always follow the roads that have been trodden by the great, and imitate those who have most excelled, so that if he cannot reach their perfection, he may at least acquire something of its savour."
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Source: Niccolo Machiavelli, Sir Thomas More, Sir (2010). “Machiavelli, More & Luther”, p.20, Cosimo, Inc.
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