Niccolo Machiavelli never actually said "the ends justify the means". The Italian words that are often mistranslated as such, "si guarda al fine", can be found in The Prince, Chapter XVIII: Concerning the way in Which Princes Should Keep Faith. The phrase is better translated as "one must think of the final result", and was written in regards to the lack of a true judge of whether a prince's words convey mercy, faithfulness, integrity, kindness, and piety.