I dilige and redame my proxims.
— from Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais

The excessively voluptuous nature of her inward pressures soon re-illuminated all my libidinous desires, and refired my prick with renewed force.
— from The Romance of Lust: A classic Victorian erotic novel by Anonymous

Pero cuando tú lo decides así, razones muy poderosas tendrás....
— from Doña Perfecta by Benito Pérez Galdós

May they with devout affection remember my parents in this transitory light, my brethren under Thee our Father in our Catholic Mother, and my fellow-citizens in that eternal Jerusalem which Thy pilgrim people sigheth after from their Exodus, even unto their return thither.
— from The Confessions of St. Augustine by Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo

Up betimes and walked to my Lord Ashly, and there with Creed after long waiting spoke with him, and was civilly used by him; thence to Sir Ph. Warwicke, and then to visit my Lord of Falmouth, who did also receive me pretty civilly, but not as I expected; he, I perceive, believing that I had undertaken to justify Povy’s accounts, taking them upon myself, but I rectified him therein.
— from The Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete by Samuel Pepys

The last duty that has been particularly imposed upon wine, that of 1780, is allowed to be wholly drawn back; an indulgence which, when so many heavy duties are retained, most probably could never occasion the exportation of a single ton of wine.
— from An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith

One day a rebel musketeer pushed forward to such a spot as enabled him to shoot Lieutenant Charlton within side the very door of the church.
— from The History of the Indian Revolt and of the Expeditions to Persia, China and Japan, 1856-7-8 by George Dodd

Then, of course, the ship’s company was completed by a highly intelligent lady in eyeglasses, who lay in a deck-chair all day, and read Mr. Pater’s Mariys (the volume lasted her throughout the voyage); a statistical clergyman, returning from his vacation, a mine of practical misinformation; a couple of Frenchmen, travelling no one could guess why, since they seemed quite cast-down and in despair about it; a half-dozen Hebrews, travelling one couldn’t help knowing wherefore, since they discussed “voollens” and prices and shipments at the tops of their cheerful voices; and the inevitable young Western girl, travelling alone.
— from Mademoiselle Miss, and Other Stories by Henry Harland

A deed which we should regard now-a-days as one of terrible barbarity seemed, doubtless, a relatively mild punishment in the eyes of men so accustomed to set but little value upon human life.
— from Celebrated Travels and Travellers, Part 1. The Exploration of the World by Jules Verne

Jim Dent, a reloaded Mauser pistol in hand, was standing on guard.
— from Jack Haydon's Quest by John Finnemore

Slipping out I found Dixon, and reported my presence to the police; and, after what seemed an endless waiting at the court, it was early afternoon when Dixon said to me: "They'll be ready in five minutes, and I want you to keep a tight rein on your temper, Ormesby.
— from The Mistress of Bonaventure by Harold Bindloss

In this pure wash work you should be careful, very careful, not to let any meaningless pencil lines show through, as they always photograph, cannot be taken out, and at times spoil the whole effect; in fact, imperfections in wash drawings always reproduce more perfectly than the perfections themselves, and it is well to keep your paper reasonably clean, to avoid smudging, blots and lines, or otherwise you will be disappointed in the result.
— from The Illustration of Books A Manual for the Use of Students, Notes for a Course of Lectures at the Slade School, University College by Joseph Pennell

He keeps books dull and reticent, makes plays virtuously didactic, and irritates all but the meek and the godly into revolt.
— from Definitions: Essays in Contemporary Criticism [First Series] by Henry Seidel Canby