The gravity with which he could answer a ridiculous or impertinent question completely disarmed and turned the shafts of malice back upon his opponent.
— from Roughing It in the Bush by Susanna Moodie

Many of the Cattans delight always to bear this terrible aspect; and, when grown white through age, become awful and conspicuous by such marks, both to the enemy and their own countrymen.
— from Tacitus on Germany by Cornelius Tacitus

Towards the conclusion of the fifteenth century, and soon after the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope, some Portuguese missionaries made a voyage to Abyssinia, and were indefatigable in propagating the Roman catholic doctrine among the Abyssinians, who professed christianity before the arrival of the missionaries.
— from Fox's Book of Martyrs Or A History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Triumphant Deaths of the Primitive Protestant Martyrs by John Foxe

This kind of dance is called by the Delians "the crane dance," according to Dikaearchus.
— from Plutarch's Lives, Volume 1 (of 4) by Plutarch

If they stop here they will certainly die; also, they will be better in the litters than on the ground.
— from She by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard

I can dance all the easier, I assure you”...
— from A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Iurevich Lermontov

Up, and by coach to St. James’s, and with Sir W. Coventry a great while talking about several businesses, but especially about accounts, and how backward our Treasurer is in giving them satisfaction, and the truth is I do doubt he cannot do better, but it is strange to say that being conscious of our doing little at this day, nor for some time past in our office for want of money, I do hang my head to him, and cannot be so free with him as I used to be, nor can be free with him, though of all men, I think, I have the least cause to be so, having taken so much more pains, while I could do anything, than the rest of my fellows.
— from The Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete by Samuel Pepys

He governed Africa, as pro-consul, for two years; being chosen out of the regular course to restore order in the province, which was in great disorder from civil dissensions, and the alarms of the barbarians.
— from The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Complete by Suetonius

One highest culminating day, at the Paris Townhall; with immortal vivats, with wife and daughter kneeling publicly to kiss his hand; with Besenval's pardon granted,—but indeed revoked before sunset: one highest day, but then lower days, and ever lower, down even to lowest!
— from The French Revolution: A History by Thomas Carlyle

He was taking a three days’ run in the Lake country during a term holiday, and, determined to do and see all he could, had decided to visit his old college friend, and look over the now famous Wildtree library.
— from A Dog with a Bad Name by Talbot Baines Reed

Mr. Greeley's mind was weakened by domestic affliction, and by the desertion of Tribune readers, and when crushing defeat at the polls gave the coup-de-grace to his political prospects, his once vigorous intellect yielded under the strain.
— from The Land We Live In The Story of Our Country by Henry Mann

Then between that certain death and the man’s skull Minnie lifted her slight arm and broke the blow.
— from The Poacher's Wife by Eden Phillpotts

Shall we infer with Condillac that memory is only transformed sensation, and comparison double attention; that every idea for which we cannot find an exterior object is destitute of significance; that our innate ideas come by development, and that reasoning and running are learned together.
— from History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, Volume I (of 2) Revised Edition by John William Draper

He wasna expectin' the thing tae fall doon like a daud o' putty, so he was no' sittin' quite clear; and the cage cam' doon and took off baith his feet.
— from A Man's Man by Ian Hay

And now, Charley drove a team over a desert field, while he—what was he doing after all?
— from The Forbidden Trail by Honoré Morrow

This year Caius Cicereius dedicated a temple to Juno Monita on the Alban mount, five years after he had vowed it; and Lucius Postumius Albinus was inaugurated flamen of Mars.
— from The History of Rome, Books 37 to the End with the Epitomes and Fragments of the Lost Books by Livy

But if they have not determined about me individually, they have certainly determined about the whole at least, and the things which happen by way of sequence in this general arrangement I ought to accept with pleasure and to be content with them.
— from Thoughts of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus by Emperor of Rome Marcus Aurelius

Seldom extending itself in any considerable degree among the other classes of the community, it has been supposed that Liverpool was little subject to fever; but this will be shewn from authentic documents to be a great and pernicious error.”
— from A History of Epidemics in Britain, Volume 2 (of 2) From the Extinction of Plague to the Present Time by Charles Creighton

To battle for the Cross, to gain renown in fights against the Infidels—as the Moors were then called,—to “obtain martyrdom” among the followers of Mohammed—these were reckoned by the Christians of crusading days as the highest honor that life could bring or death bestow.
— from Historic Girls: Stories Of Girls Who Have Influenced The History Of Their Times by Elbridge S. (Elbridge Streeter) Brooks