He is even as a wisp in the wind, moved by every breath of passion, acting now by his will and now by his instincts, erring with one, only to retrieve by the other, falling by one, only to rise by the other—a creature of incalculable variability.
— from Sister Carrie: A Novel by Theodore Dreiser

Not being entirely bereft of prudence, he had discarded boots and stockings and borrowed Tommy Cotton’s overalls.
— from Anne of the Island by L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery

Shortly after, Anderson died, and the subsequent editions, of which there are several, have been edited by other persons.
— from The Symbolism of Freemasonry Illustrating and Explaining Its Science and Philosophy, Its Legends, Myths and Symbols by Albert Gallatin Mackey

He was accompanied by nearly all the invited guests, and besides this, the house was almost besieged by excited bands of people, who insisted upon being allowed to enter the verandah.
— from The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Perhaps some will be surprised that so sacred a food may be eaten by ordinary profane persons.
— from The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life by Émile Durkheim

Up, and fitted myself for my journey down to the fleete, and sending my money and boy down by water to Eriffe,—[Erith]—I borrowed a horse of Mr. Boreman’s son, and after having sat an houre laughing with my Lady Batten and Mrs. Turner, and eat and drank with them, I took horse and rode to Eriffe, where, after making a little visit to Madam Williams, who did give me information of W. Howe’s having bought eight bags of precious stones taken from about the Dutch Vice-Admirall’s neck, of which there were eight dyamonds which cost him L60,000 sterling, in India, and hoped to have made L2000 here for them.
— from The Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete by Samuel Pepys

[Pg 103] The collector of small pieces to-day will do well to buy every bag or pillow of Bokhara or Beluchistan which may please his fancy.
— from The Oriental Rug A Monograph on Eastern Rugs and Carpets, Saddle-Bags, Mats & Pillows, with a Consideration of Kinds and Classes, Types, Borders, Figures, Dyes, Symbols, etc. Together with Some Practical Advice to Collectors. by William De Lancey Ellwanger

[1322a] This office is very disagreeable on account of the odium attending it, so that no one will engage therein without it is made very profitable, or, if they do, will they be willing to execute it according to law; but it is most necessary, as it is of no service to pass judgment in any cause without that judgment is carried into execution: for without this human society could not subsist: for which reason it is best that this office should not be executed by one person, but by some of the magistrates of the other courts.
— from Politics: A Treatise on Government by Aristotle

* Note: The Bulgarians are first mentioned among the writers of the West in the Panegyric on Theodoric by Ennodius, Bishop of Pavia.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Table of Contents with links in the HTML file to the two Project Gutenberg editions (12 volumes) by Edward Gibbon

The gun was tried, and it was found to be empty both of powder and ball.
— from Tales and Novels — Volume 09 by Maria Edgeworth

This right to stop scoring can only be exercised by one player in each game, and if he who first reaches the required number of points refuses to exercise that right, it passes to the next who attains the required number, and so on.
— from Cassell's Book of In-door Amusements, Card Games, and Fireside Fun by Various

The chopped steak may be either broiled or pan- broiled.
— from School and Home Cooking by Carlotta C. (Carlotta Cherryholmes) Greer

A comparison of the existing conditions with those of the most favored period in the history of the country will, I believe, show that so high a degree of prosperity and so general a diffusion of the comforts of life were never before enjoyed by our people.
— from A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents Volume 9, part 1: Benjamin Harrison by Benjamin Harrison

Moreover, those Provinces are all distinct duchies, counties, seignories, governed by their own magistrates, laws, and ordinances; each by itself, without any authority or command to be exercised by one Province over another.
— from History of the United Netherlands from the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Year's Truce — Complete (1584-86) by John Lothrop Motley

They have poultry in quantities, especially capons, sheep with negro faces like the Persian, dwarf milch-goats of sturdy build, dark and dingy pigs, and cattle whose peculiarity it is to be either black or piebald.
— from To The Gold Coast for Gold: A Personal Narrative. Vol. II by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir

Up, and fitted myself for my journey down to the fleete, and sending my money and boy down by water to Eriffe,—[Erith]—I borrowed a horse of Mr. Boreman's son, and after having sat an houre laughing with my Lady Batten and Mrs. Turner, and eat and drank with them, I took horse and rode to Eriffe, where, after making a little visit to Madam Williams, who did give me information of W. Howe's having bought eight bags of precious stones taken from about the Dutch Vice-Admirall's neck, of which there were eight dyamonds which cost him L60,000 sterling, in India, and hoped to have made L2000 here for them.
— from Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete 1665 N.S. by Samuel Pepys

"Such is the plan and the moral part of the Author's invention; the technic part, and the execution of the artist, though to be examined by other principles, and addressed to a narrower circle, equally claim approbation, sometimes excite our wonder, and not seldom our fears, when we see him play on the very verge of legitimate invention; but wildness so picturesque in itself, so often redeemed by taste, simplicity, and elegance, what child of fancy, what artist would wish to discharge?
— from The Life and Writings of Henry Fuseli, Volume 1 (of 3) by Henry Fuseli

Brown was puzzling himself to conceive how a fox-chase could take place among hills, where it was barely possible for a pony, accustomed to the ground, to trot along, but where, quitting the track for half a yard's breadth, the rider might be either bogged or precipitated down the bank.
— from Guy Mannering, Or, the Astrologer — Complete by Walter Scott