“The art of putting the right people in the right places is the beginning of the science of government, but finding places for the discontented is the hardest of all”;

“Language was given to man to conceal his thoughts”;

“Women sometimes forgive a man who takes advantage of an opportunity, but never one who does not”;

“I forgive people who do not share my opinion, but I do not forgive those who do not hold their own”;

“The only investment that costs nothing and brings a large return is flattery”;

“If you want to lead men to their death, tell them you are leading them to glory”;

“In politics, what people believe matters more than what is true”;

“In politics there are no convictions, only circumstances”;

“Whole nations would be horrified if they knew what small men ruled over them”;

“The first thing a diplomat should do after an international conference is to take care of his liver”.

(Charles Maurice de Talleyrand (1754–1838), Prince of Benevento, was a French politician and diplomat who served as foreign minister under three regimes, from the Directory to the government of Louis-Philippe. Talleyrand was a skilful diplomat and a master of political intrigue. His name became almost a byword for cunning, dexterity and unscrupulousness.)