I was surprised by lightning in the midst of these luminous sheets, as though they had been rivulets of lead melted in an ardent furnace or metallic masses brought to a white heat, so that, by force of contrast, certain portions of light appeared to cast a shade in the midst of the general ignition, from which all shade seemed banished.
— from Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne

that the river here making a bend they could not see through the mountain, and as it was impossible to decend the river or clamber over that vast mountain covered with eternal snow, neither himself nor any of his nation had ever been lower in this direction, than in view of the place at which the river entered this mountain; that if Capt. C. wished him to do so, he would conduct him to that place, where he thought they could probably arrive by the next evening.
— from The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 by William Clark

without an increase, when Sir J. Lawson, in the same voyage, had L3, and others have also had increase, only he, because he was an officer of the board, was worse used than any body else, and particularly told Sir W. Batten that he was the opposer formerly of his having an increase, which I did wonder to hear him so boldly lay it to him.
— from The Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete by Samuel Pepys

Here, and here alone, the true sources of poetry amongst such nations are to be found; and it may be believed that the poets who shall neglect to draw their inspirations hence, will lose all sway over the minds which they would enchant, and will be left in the end with none but unimpassioned spectators of their transports.
— from Democracy in America — Volume 2 by Alexis de Tocqueville

The Popes have succeeded in making this beautiful land into the kingdom of hate.
— from On Love by Stendhal

Alexandre Schanne has given us a glimpse of bohemian life in the early cafés.
— from All About Coffee by William H. (William Harrison) Ukers

But I seek the favor of God and his apostle; and I have heard, from one of the companions of the prophet, that the spirits of the martyrs will be lodged in the crops of green birds, who shall taste the fruits, and drink of the rivers, of paradise.
— 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

He began life in the service of St. Cuthbert.
— from Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England by Bede, the Venerable, Saint

Indeed, Mrs. Tulliver's mind was reduced to such confusion by living in this strange medium of unaccountable sorrow, against which she continually appealed by asking, "Oh dear, what have I done to deserve worse than other women?" that Maggie began to suspect her poor mother's wits were quite going.
— from The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

Dainty Madame Carre-Lamadon seemed to think even that in Boule de Suif's place she would be less inclined to refuse him than another.
— from Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant

All but a few of them have branches in every part of the Dominion, and these branches, as fast as they receive the notes of other banks, either send them in to the nearest redemption centre or convert them into lawful money—or its equivalent, a bill of exchange—through branches of the issuing [Pg 413] banks located in the same towns.
— from Readings in Money and Banking Selected and Adapted by Chester Arthur Phillips

The best light is this: that I asked him a question to which, for three months, he made no reply.
— from A Battle of the Books, recorded by an unknown writer for the use of authors and publishers To the first for doctrine, to the second for reproof, to both for correction and for instruction in righteousness by Gail Hamilton

Every month the kings and the ephors took an oath of fidelity, the former promising to rule in {79} accordance with the constitution, the latter to be loyal in their obedience, on the condition just mentioned.
— from Greece Painted by John Fulleylove; described by J.A. McClymont by J. A. (James Alexander) M'Clymont

The Lieutenant then sent for Mrs Joliffe, and asked her if plenty of provisions had been left in the house.
— from The Fur Country: Or, Seventy Degrees North Latitude by Jules Verne

This, under Admiral Calder, they were successful in doing, two Spanish ships being lost in the action that was fought.
— from The Story of Napoleon by Harold Wheeler

be ripening—mature your silent way, Till the whole broad land is tongued with fire on freedom's harvest day.
— from Leaves of Life, for Daily Inspiration by Margaret Bird Steinmetz

No power short of Jove could protect you and him, if aught were to befall Lentulus, in the way you propose." "But what can we do, father?" replied Titus, sorry to see his scheme for vengeance blocked; "shall that despicable tyrant defy law and justice, and refuse to give Mistress Cornelia to Quintus?" "Silence your folly!" thundered the other, who was himself quite nonplussed over the situation, and felt Titus's bold chatter would goad him into something desperate.
— from A Friend of Cæsar: A Tale of the Fall of the Roman Republic. Time, 50-47 B.C. by William Stearns Davis

"Of course 'commandments' must be left in the soprano song, instead of 'commands,' if you do not approve of the latter.
— from The History of Mendelssohn's Oratorio 'Elijah' by F. G. (Frederick George) Edwards

A. would object to B., and B. to C. Besides, life in this world is not to be just to our minds.
— from The Home at Greylock by E. (Elizabeth) Prentiss