[LS]

One of my favorites: he taught himself Spanish so he could read Maciavelli in its native language-—or so I read. He also launched the first “
War on Terror” with only a joint resolution and said “those who aren’t with us are with the Bey of Tripoli,” or words to that effect.

[DeFault User]

he taught himself Spanish so he could read Maciavelli in its native language-

Actually, he learned Spanish to read Cervantes' Quixote in the original. Machiavelli wrote in Italian.

[donmeaker]

Machavelli was not Spanish. He was Italian, but wrote The Prince (De Principatibus) in Latin.

Jefferson did teach himself Arabic.