Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges

This observation by the Roman historian Tacitus in his Annals is as true today as when he wrote it over 1900 years ago.

Whether you translate it as: "The more numerous the laws, the more corrupt the government", or as: "The more corrupt the state, the more laws", the wise message is the same.

Wikipedia has an entire article devoted to the various possible translations of the phrase res publica . Res is, of course, a fifth declension noun and publica an adjective.

Plurimae is part of the 1st / 2nd declension adjective plurimus, a, um, which means most or very many.

Ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant

Scottish history begins with Tacitus and the speech he attributes to Calgacus, which ends thus:

Auferre trucidare rapere falsis nominibus imperium, atque ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.

This translates as: "To ravage, to slaughter, to usurp under false titles, they call empire; and where they make a desert, they call it peace."