In the hall stood half a dozen English cane chairs, and an empty book-case: there were no mirrors, nor a single painting.
— from The Vampyre; a Tale by John William Polidori

I could not help admiring a man who, on the eve of a desperate enterprise, could courteously argue upon a point which must touch him so nearly.
— from The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales by Arthur Conan Doyle

All troops on detached service, such as recruiting, guarding posts and dépôts, escorting convoys, &c., as well as all sedentary corps, garrisons of fortified places, &c., are not regarded in this classification as composing any part of the line of the army.
— from Elements of Military Art and Science Or, Course Of Instruction In Strategy, Fortification, Tactics Of Battles, &C.; Embracing The Duties Of Staff, Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, And Engineers; Adapted To The Use Of Volunteers And Militia; Third Edition; With Critical Notes On The Mexican And Crimean Wars. by H. W. (Henry Wager) Halleck

This leads me to consider whether, if all the world were regulated by a duly elected county council, all chosen from a properly qualified and democratic, well-educated, pious electorate, and all men went about minding each other’s business—with fornication, covetousness, evil concupiscence, adultery, and murder quite unknown, and only slander and a little cheating left to give a zest to life—they would be happier upon the whole than are the unregenerate Moors, who lie and steal, fight, fornicate, and p. 66 generally behave themselves as if blood circulated in their veins and not sour whey?
— from Mogreb-el-Acksa: A Journey in Morocco by R. B. (Robert Bontine) Cunninghame Graham