There is something of the charm of discovery in lighting upon these wild and unexplored tracts of human nature—in witnessing, as it were, the native growth of moral sentiment, and perceiving those generous and romantic qualities which have been artificially cultivated by society vegetating in spontaneous hardihood and rude magnificence.
— from The Sketch-Book of Geoffrey Crayon by Washington Irving

It is recorded, in the Gazetteer of Malabar, that “the Vēttuvans of Chirakkal taluk are a low caste of jungle cultivators and basket makers, distinguished by the survival amongst their women of the custom of dressing in leaves, their only clothing being a kind of double fan-shaped apron of leaves tied round the waist with a rolled cloth.
— from Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 7 of 7 by Edgar Thurston

So saying she advanced toward the place where she heard the bleating, but what was her surprise when, in a lovely little glade quite surrounded by trees, she saw a large sheep; its wool was as white as snow, and its horns shone like gold; it had a garland of flowers round its neck, and strings of great pearls about its legs, and a collar of diamonds; it lay upon a bank of orange-flowers, under a canopy of cloth of gold which protected it from the heat of the sun.
— from The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

However one may agree or disagree with its teachings and concede or dispute its literary merits, it cannot be denied that it was the most powerful book in its effects on the century, surpassing even Mrs. Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” which is usually credited with having hurried on the American Civil War and brought about the termination of African slavery in the United States.
— from Lineage, Life and Labors of José Rizal, Philippine Patriot by Austin Craig

At least he felt that he would be capable of doing it later, if not now.
— from Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Perhaps the cruelty of Domitius is less astonishing than the indifference with which the Roman orator relates this circumstance, which affects him so little that he thus expresses himself: "Durum hoc fortasse videatur, neque ego in ullam partem disputo."
— 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

[xiv] Klausenburg, Collection of documents in Library of.
— from The Revolutionary Movement of 1848-9 in Italy, Austria-Hungary, and Germany With Some Examination of the Previous Thirty-three Years by C. Edmund (Charles Edmund) Maurice

Then M. Fourault launched forth into details of the service and the building: how the dishes are brought direct to the guests by hand so as to avoid the chance of draughts in lifts; of the beauty of the kitchen; the arrangements to keep in touch with and co-operate with the Royal Institute on the top floor, and a variety of other topics.
— from Dinners and Diners: Where and How to Dine in London by Lieut.-Col. (Nathaniel) Newnham-Davis

388) are special cases of the change of direction in line in that they involve a change of direction of 90° and 45° , respectively; as executed by the platoon and squad , they differ further from the general case of the change of direction in that the leader follows a specially prescribed arc during the turn (par.
— from Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Cavalry of the Army of the United States 1917. To be also used by Engineer Companies (Mounted) for Cavalry Instruction and Training by United States. War Department

Since this is the case, our discussion is legitimate, however repugnant the very suggestion may be to the feelings with which we are accustomed to regard the Bible.
— from Wit and Humor of the Bible: A Literary Study by Marion D. (Marion Daniel) Shutter

"I don't think," he said, "that any good can come of discussing it, Lady Lansdowne."
— from Chippinge Borough by Stanley John Weyman

Now, a city with the natural charm of Denver is, like a woman similarly endowed, in danger of becoming oversure.
— from Abroad at Home: American Ramblings, Observations, and Adventures of Julian Street by Julian Street

They worked the press so industriously to this cry, that in the course of a few years they had succeeded in impressing their views on the Court of Directors in London and on the less intelligent members of the Civil Service in India.
— from History of Gujarát Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Volume I, Part I. by James M. Campbell