Niccolo' Cheney

Tuthout.org has a two part series on the Psychology of Dick Cheney. Revealing. Wait till you read about his wife. The profile that comes across reminded me of the Dedicatory Letter to "The Prince", from Machiavelli to His Magnificence, Lorenzo de' Medici.

Here's that letter.

Those who wished to be viewed with favour by a ruler usually approach him with things from among their possessions that are very dear to them, or with things they expect will please him.
Hence, it often happens that they are presented with horses, weapons, a clothe of gold, precious stones or similar ornaments, which are worthy of their exalted position. Wishing myself to offer Your Magnificence some token of my devotion to you, I have not found among my belongings anything I hold more dear or valuable than my knowledge of the conduct of great men, learned through long experience of modern affairs and continual study of ancient history: I have reflected on and examined these matters with great care, and have summarized them in a small volume, which I proffer to Your Magnificence.

And although I consider this work to be unworthy of Your Magnificence, I trust very much that your humanity will lead you to accept it, since it is not in my power to offer you a greater gift than one which in a very short time will enable you to understand all that I have learned in so many years, and with much difficulty and danger. I have not embellished this work by filling it with rounded periods, with high-sounding words or fine phrases, or with any of the other beguiling artifices of apparent beauty which most writers employ to describe and embellish their subject-matter; for my wish is that, if it is to be honoured at all, only its originality and the importance of the subject should make it acceptable.

Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought; Machiavelli ; The Prince: Edited by Quentin Skinner & Russell Price