Baltasar Gracián y Morales:
(Belmonte (near Calatayud), 1601 – Tarazona (in Aragon).
Spanish Jesuit known as a writer of amoral, illusory, “Machiavellian”, often cynically named books, including Handoracle and Art of Prudence.
His work was praised by Nietzsche, Voltaire, Stendhal and La Rochefoucauld. Schopenhauer translated Handorakel into German. Gracián also wrote under the name Lorenzo Gracián and under the anagram Gracía de Marlones. His actual surname was Galacian y Morales. He adopted the name by which he was known, Baltasar Gracián, upon joining the Jesuit order.
In all things, deceit arrives first, dragging fools behind it in endless vulgarity. Truth is always late, last to arrive, limping along with time.
The wrong manner turns everything sour, even justice and reason. The right one makes up for everything: it turns a “no” golden, sweetens truth, and makes even old age look pretty.
