I shall not hesitate to make extracts, for I catch at anything to save labor; but those will be the best versions of what I want to convey.
— from Complete Prose Works Specimen Days and Collect, November Boughs and Goodbye My Fancy by Walt Whitman

He offered one to the Marquis, who snatched it without ceremony, and another to Syme, who took it, bent it, and poised it with as much delay as was consistent with dignity.
— from The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare by G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton

Is it strange that a child who is encouraged to chatter and allowed to say anything, who is restrained neither by consideration nor convention, should chance to say something clever?
— from Emile by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

M. Dubois, always a shrewd courtier and anxious to shew off at the expense of others, lost no time in introducing him as M. Dutillot, the French ambassador.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova

During the last thirty years of the seventeenth century, amid all the strifes of arms and diplomacy, there had been clearly foreseen the coming of an event which would raise new and great issues.
— from The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783 by A. T. (Alfred Thayer) Mahan

His air, his figure, his position were alike commanding, and at the sight of him a loud and spontaneous cheer burst from the assembled thousands.
— from Sybil, Or, The Two Nations by Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield

To be able to preserve these characteristics, and at the same time to diversify their operations, is one talent of a good writer.
— from History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding

Sigurd his stepfather was a careful householder, who kept his people closely to their work, and often went about himself to inspect his corn-rigs and meadowland, the cattle, and also the smith-work, or whatsoever his people had on hand to do.
— from Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway by Snorri Sturluson

the Magpy is most commonly found in the open country and are the same with those formerly discribed on the Missouri.
— from The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 by William Clark

Aristides Milesius (mentioned by Plutarch) and found by the Persians in Crassus' army amongst the spoils, Aretine's dialogues, with ditties, love songs, &c., must needs set them on fire, with such like pictures, as those of Aretine, or wanton objects of what kind soever; no stronger engine than to hear or read of love toys, fables and discourses ( [5092] one saith) and many by this means are quite mad.
— from The Anatomy of Melancholy by Robert Burton

“Authors are very apt to make alterations, and to correct and amend the style or arguments of their works, when they first see them in print.
— from The American Printer: A Manual of Typography Containing practical directions for managing all departments of a printing office, as well as complete instructions for apprentices; with several useful tables, numerous schemes for imposing forms in every variety, hints to authors, etc. by Thomas MacKellar

[Pg 53] of Disraeli that should be at once convincing and consistent, and adequate to shed light on many of the obscure points of his character.
— from Modernities by Horace Barnett Samuel

Doing this we will grasp what is central, and at the same time will appreciate the true value of all details.
— from The Radicalism of Shelley and Its Sources by Daniel J. MacDonald

She looked calmly about, and then seeing the consternation on the faces of Richard and Eliza and the amused satisfaction on the countenances of the detectives, she saw she had made a false step, and became irate.
— from In the Onyx Lobby by Carolyn Wells

However, I imagine that these excellent gentlemen will hardly find Cæsar as easy to handle as Catilina." Again Lentulus was in his curule chair, and again the solemn farce of taking the auspices, preparatory to commencing the session, was gone through.
— from A Friend of Cæsar: A Tale of the Fall of the Roman Republic. Time, 50-47 B.C. by William Stearns Davis

Poor child, to have to fight England, Burgundy, and a French conspiracy all at the same time—it was too bad.
— from Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc — Volume 2 by Mark Twain

It may have been cut away at the sides for convenience, till by degrees it arrived at the two typical shapes of ‘Gothic,’ or pointed, and ‘Roman,’ or square.
— from Church Needlework: A manual of practical instruction by Hinda M. Hands

Then when the flies were whisked out by two efficient aprons, Betty left the sisters to themselves for a good talk and rest, and wandered out along the hillsides by the path Serena had taken, and there she sat and thought and looked off at the green country and at the sky.
— from Betty Leicester: A Story For Girls by Sarah Orne Jewett

Petersburg was at the junction of three railroads, and was a place of great importance to the Confederacy, as all the supplies of Lee's army, as well as to Richmond, came by the way of Petersburg, and for these reasons General Grant resolved to destroy the railroads, and if possible to capture the city, and thus destroy the Confederates' source of supplies.
— from Battles of the Civil War by Thomas Elbert Vineyard

This is to remember Christ aright at the Sacrament, when you never cease remembring him, till your hearts be brought into a thankfull frame to God, for Christ and for his ineffable blessings and mercies exhibited in the Sacrament to a worthy receiver.
— from A Vindication of the Presbyteriall-Government and Ministry by Ministers and Elders of the London Provinciall Assembly