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Experience has always shown, and reason also, that affairs which depend on many seldom succeed.

— Francesco Guicciardini Storia d' Italia (1537)

Ha sempre dimostrato l'esperienza, e lo dimostra la ragione, che mai succedono bene le cose che dipendono da molti.

Original text (Italian)

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More quotes by Francesco Guicciardini

Never wage war on religion, nor upon seemingly holy institutions, for this thing has too great a force upon the minds of fools.

Counsels and Reflections (1857)

There is no evil in human affairs that has not some good mingled with it.

Storia d' Italia (1537)

Ambassadors are the eye and ear of states.

Storia d' Italia (1537)

We fight to great disadvantage when we fight with those who have nothing to lose.

Storia d' Italia (1537)

He who imitates what is evil always goes beyond the example that is set; on the contrary, he who imitates what is good always falls short.

Storia d' Italia (1537)

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Francesco Guicciardini (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.