These sights are more than I can bear.
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition Table Of Contents And Index Of The Five Volumes by Edgar Allan Poe

You think I’m a mere trifler; I can tell by the expression of your face—you’ve got a wonderfully expressive face.
— from The Portrait of a Lady — Volume 1 by Henry James

But whether this be so or not I will not here determine, but appeal to every one’s own experience, whether the shadow of a man, though it consists of nothing but the absence of light (and the more the absence of light is, the more discernible is the shadow) does not, when a man looks on it, cause as clear and positive idea in his mind, as a man himself, though covered over with clear sunshine?
— from An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, Volume 1 MDCXC, Based on the 2nd Edition, Books 1 and 2 by John Locke

Accordingly he bethought himself of a new way of explaining and meeting the imminent catastrophe.
— from The Life of Reason: The Phases of Human Progress by George Santayana

Many also make cloaks to wear of the skins stripped off, sewing them together like shepherds' cloaks of skins; 66 and many take the skin together with the finger-nails off the right hands of their enemies when they are dead, and make them into covers for their quivers: now human skin it seems is both thick and glossy in appearance, more brilliantly white than any other skin.
— from The History of Herodotus — Volume 1 by Herodotus

he asked, eyeing me in a manner that I could ill endure, after this inhospitable treatment.
— from Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Pleasure prepares the fading wreath, and mixes the intoxicating cup; but the fruit which virtue gives, is the recompence of toil: and, gradually seen as it ripens, only affords calm satisfaction; nay, appearing to be the result of the natural tendency of things, it is scarcely observed.
— from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman With Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects by Mary Wollstonecraft

As for the interview I desired, she assured me, that I could not be more eager for such an occasion than she; but she must not only sacrifice little more to decorum, but be satisfied of my honourable intentions, before she could grant that request.
— from The Adventures of Roderick Random by T. (Tobias) Smollett

Do you know, dearest, that I cannot understand how you could fall in love with me after having known her, any more than I can conceive how she does not hate me ever since she has discovered that I have robbed her of your heart.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova

Write to Pierre, as Prince Andrew asked me to in case of some misfortune?...
— from War and Peace by Tolstoy, Leo, graf

Every precaution is taken here, at the gate of our land, to prevent an enemy from gaining Mo. The valley is commanded by guns in such a manner that it can be swept from end to end, so that even if a foe were to succeed in treading the Way of the Thousand Steps he must descend here and remain under the fire of the guns."
— from The Great White Queen: A Tale of Treasure and Treason by William Le Queux

H2 anchor Nor To Warfare, Unless They Voluntarily Undertake It Upon this ground, a man that is commanded as a Souldier to fight against the enemy, though his Soveraign have Right enough to punish his refusall with death, may neverthelesse in many cases refuse, without Injustice; as when he substituteth a sufficient Souldier in his place: for in this case he deserteth not the service of the Common-wealth.
— from Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes

“Well,” was Ronald’s answer, “he’s not fond of you and me, that is certain, but what harm can he do?
— from The Island of Yellow Sands: An Adventure and Mystery Story for Boys by Ethel C. (Ethel Claire) Brill

But, in point of fact, it cost poor Aunt Medea, the inevitable chaperone, two long weeks of almost constant perambulation.
— from Monsieur Lecoq, v. 2 by Emile Gaboriau

Having finished my glass of “summut” and my translation, I called to the woman and asked her what I had to pay.
— from Wild Wales: The People, Language, & Scenery by George Borrow

My intention being to go this morning to White Hall to hear South, my Lord Chancellor's chaplain, the famous preacher and oratour of Oxford, (who the last Lord's day did sink down in the pulpit before the King, and could not proceed,) it did rain, and the wind against me, that I could by no means get a boat or coach to carry me; and so I staid at Paul's, where the judges did all meet, and heard a sermon, it being the first Sunday of the term; but they had a very poor sermon.
— from Diary of Samuel Pepys — Volume 15: March/April 1661-62 by Samuel Pepys

As no one knows what stupendous piece of folly they may commit at any moment, there is constant apprehension.
— from Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, March 1899 Volume LIV, No. 5, March 1899 by Various

The dry study of harmony disgusted me more and more, though I continued to conceive fantasias, sonatas, and overtures, and work them out by myself.
— from My Life — Volume 1 by Richard Wagner

At an interview with the former Chinese ambassador, Kwo Sung-tâo, in Paris, in 1878, I begged him to write out for me the amount, with the authority for it, and he assured me that it could not be done.
— from Chinese Literature Comprising the Analects of Confucius, the Sayings of Mencius, the Shi-King, the Travels of Fâ-Hien, and the Sorrows of Han by Faxian

The Rock of the Great Sin rose, a wall of dark grey stone devoid of any vestige of herbage, towering rough and rugged to enormous height, and overhanging in such a manner that it could not be scaled.
— from The Eye of Istar: A Romance of the Land of No Return by William Le Queux