"The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him."
"When settling disputes between his subjects, he should ensure that his judgement is irrevocable; and he should be so regarded that no one ever dreams of trying to deceive or trick him."
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Source: The Prince. Book by Niccolò Machiavelli, ch. 17, as translated by Luigi Ricci (1903), 1513.
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