And then let him wander in footpaths with the Breton peasant through fields where good dames sit on the sunny side of a bush or wall, knitting stockings, where there are long hedges of furze, golden-yellow with bloom—even in January—and listen to stories about corrigans , and about the dead who mingle here with the [Pg 16] living.
— from The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries by W. Y. (Walter Yeeling) Evans-Wentz

Another method is for the people in general to meet for the choice of the magistrates, and to examine into their conduct; and also to deliberate concerning war and alliances, and to leave other things to the magistrates, whoever happen to be chosen, whose particular employments are such as necessarily require persons well skilled therein.
— from Politics: A Treatise on Government by Aristotle

In terror she will start and cry; And all the demon band, alarmed, Will come with various weapons armed, With their wild shouts the grove will fill, And strive to take me, or to kill.
— from The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse by Valmiki

The spindle turned on the knees of Necessity, and a Siren stood hymning upon each circle, while Lachesis, Clotho, and Atropos, the daughters of Necessity, sat on thrones at equal intervals, singing of past, present, and future, responsive to the music of the Sirens; Clotho from time to time guiding the outer circle with a touch of her right hand; Atropos with her left hand touching and guiding the inner circles; Lachesis in turn putting forth her hand from time to time to guide both of them.
— from The Republic by Plato

And so to bed and there entertained her with great content And all to dinner and sat down to the King saving myself
— from The Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete by Samuel Pepys

From the slowness I saw at first in her working, I could scarce believe that the work was done so soon, and sent my servant to examine it, who reported that the whole street was swept perfectly clean, and all the dust plac'd in the gutter, which was in the middle; and the next rain wash'd it quite away, so that the pavement and even the kennel were perfectly clean.
— from Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin

We achieved the rest of our journey pleasantly, sometimes recurring to Doctors’ Commons, and anticipating the distant days when I should be a proctor there, which Steerforth pictured in a variety of humorous and whimsical lights, that made us both merry.
— from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

But this dulls it, and troubles the dogmatists to the glory of the sceptical crowd, which consists in this doubtful ambiguity, and in a certain doubtful dimness from which our doubts cannot take away all the clearness, nor our own natural lights chase away all the darkness.
— from Pascal's Pensées by Blaise Pascal

It was his practice to take a very large dose of it immediately after breakfast each morning—or, rather, immediately after a cup of strong coffee, for he ate nothing in the forenoon—and then set forth alone, or attended only by a dog, upon a long ramble among the chain of wild and dreary hills that lie westward and southward of Charlottesville, and are there dignified by the title of the Ragged Mountains.
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition Table Of Contents And Index Of The Five Volumes by Edgar Allan Poe

" Chloe appeared at the door with her letters.
— from The Gun-Brand by James B. (James Beardsley) Hendryx

With proper tools, a properly constructed fowl-house can be kept perfectly clean, and all the details of management well carried out without scarcely soiling your hands.
— from Poultry A Practical Guide to the Choice, Breeding, Rearing, and Management of all Descriptions of Fowls, Turkeys, Guinea-fowls, Ducks, and Geese, for Profit and Exhibition. by Hugh Piper

The earth shook, and at the same time a volley of stones fell thick upon us; in an instant clouds of black smoke and ashes caused almost a total darkness; the explosions from the top of the mountain were much louder than any thunder I ever heard, and the smell of the sulphur was very offensive.
— from Naples, Past and Present by Arthur H. (Arthur Hamilton) Norway

Ladders are constructed to enable them to reach the cave, and are taken down when the bones have been deposited there.
— from The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (Third Edition, Vol. 06 of 12) by James George Frazer

Trickey didn’t care anything about the defense, all he wanted was a story for his paper and with a view of getting it he humored McHenry by agreeing to call upon Col. Adams and ask him if he wanted to hire a good detective, one who could get at all the state’s evidence against Miss Borden.
— from The Fall River Tragedy: A History of the Borden Murders by Edwin H. Porter

34 The solid, compact army, with infantry, artillery, and cavalry in the best possible condition, advanced at the double-quick.
— from History of Frederick the Second, Called Frederick the Great. by John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot) Abbott

This was most unfortunate, as nearly all the stone had been prepared, the foundations excavated, the water-receivers almost completed, and all the doors, iron-work, and windows sent out from England.
— from Diaries of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore, Volume 2 (of 2) Comprising Their Life and Work as Recorded in Their Diaries, from 1812 to 1883 by Montefiore, Judith Cohen, Lady

The window sashes had been carried away and the door hung by a single hinge.
— from Sheila of Big Wreck Cove: A Story of Cape Cod by James A. Cooper

They saw every moment, instances of approbation or blame, satisfaction or displeasure towards characters and actions; they denominated the objects of these sentiments, VIRTUES, or VICES; they observed, that the former had a tendency to increase the happiness, and the latter the misery of mankind; they asked, whether it were possible that we could have any general concern for society, or any disinterested resentment of the welfare or injury of others; they found it simpler to consider all these sentiments as modifications of self-love; and they discovered a pretence, at least, for this unity of principle, in that close union of interest, which is so observable between the public and each individual.
— from An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals by David Hume