Niccolò Machiavelli(1469-1527)

Though the later centuries have viewed him unkindly as the manifestation of evil itself, Machiavelli did little to earn this nasty reputation. He was a good citizen, an upright man, and an affectionate husband. Despite this, he was considered so immoral that his name became a synonym for the devil ("Old Nick" is derived from his given name, and "Machiavel" from his surname; both are found in Renaissance literature as names for Satan). Harvey Mansfield, in his book "Machiavelli's Virtue", indexes the word "Machiavellism" as "See also: evil."

There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.