The ladies of a prince's house have everything they can wish for within their bounds and cannot go outside of these.

As for dependents, no man here, at least of such as are likely to be rulers, cares for his nearest and dearest friends enough to incur personal peril, public displeasure, or private resentment on their account.

The officials around a ruler's person are few in number, so that we can afford to make their places too comfortable and too valuable to be lightly risked.

Neglect, again, is pretty sure to be punished by superior authority.

Activity in the promotion of public objects is the only interest left to princes, while tyranny is, for the reasons I have given, too dangerous to be carried far.".