Turn back, dull earth, and find thy centre out.
— from The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

we have three days provision only in store and that of the most inferior dryed Elk a little tainted.
— from The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 by William Clark

Down Easters and Johnny Cakes can follow if they please.
— from American Notes by Charles Dickens

"That's it!" said Jo to herself, when she at length discovered that genuine good-will towards one's fellow-men could beautify and dignify even a stout German teacher, who shovelled in his dinner, darned his own socks, and was burdened with the name of Bhaer.
— from Little Women; Or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Louisa May Alcott

The blind man carries with him into his dark environment all the faculties essential to the apprehension of the visible world whose door is closed behind him.
— from The World I Live In by Helen Keller

“My dear Emma, as long as he thinks so, it is so; but if he really loves Jane Fairfax—” “Nonsense!
— from Emma by Jane Austen

His brother follows, and to vengeance warms The hardy Spartans, exercised in arms: Phares and Brysia's valiant troops, and those Whom Lacedaemon's lofty hills inclose; Or Messe's towers for silver doves renown'd, Amyclae, Laas, Augia's happy ground, And those whom OEtylos' low walls contain, And Helos, on the margin of the main: These, o'er the bending ocean, Helen's cause, In sixty ships with Menelaus draws: Eager and loud from man to man he flies, Revenge and fury flaming in his eyes; While vainly fond, in fancy oft he hears
— from The Iliad by Homer

We must have lain thus languidly, and deliciously enjoying all the raptures of the most complete and voluptuous gratification of our passions, for fully thirty minutes before we recovered complete consciousness.
— from The Romance of Lust: A classic Victorian erotic novel by Anonymous

Besides, the queerest things happen in v. Kirchmann’s distributive system: ‘As we all know’, [Pg 234] the prices of the products, i.e. the price of the aggregate product of society, consist of v + s , of wage and capital interest alone—so that the aggregate product must be distributed entirely among workers and entrepreneurs; but then unhappily v. Kirchmann dimly remembers the fact that production needs things like raw materials and tools.
— from The Accumulation of Capital by Rosa Luxemburg

While they were working night and day, early and late, I was amusing myself with boxing-gloves and fishing-rods.
— from Parkhurst Boys, and Other Stories of School Life by Talbot Baines Reed

The blade is parallel angular; the distal end, apiculate.
— from Handbook of Alabama Archaeology: Part I, Point Types by James W. Cambron

“This gorgeous scene took place on the 29th of August, and you will find my authorities for this account of it in Henry Knyghton’s books ‘ De Eventibus Angliæ ,’ printed in Twysden’s ‘ Scriptores ,’ already cited, page 2740; in Robert Fabyan’s ‘ Chronicles of England and Fraunce ,’ London, 1559, folio, volume ii., page 334; in Stow’s ‘ Annals ,’ page 307; and in [207] Maitland’s ‘ History ,’ volume i., page 180.
— from Chronicles of London Bridge by Richard Thompson

At A and B , 500 yards apart, telescopes having cross wires are placed; at A a long narrow straight-edged strip of glass A d is arranged to move in unison with the telescope at A ; and by the application of dynamo electricity, a similarly constructed piece of glass c d moves in exact unison with the telescope at B , and having its pivot at C ; that is to say, C d keeps parallel with B H , the line of sight of the observer at B .
— from Torpedoes and Torpedo Warfare Containing a Complete and Concise Account of the Rise and Progress of Submarine Warfare by Charles William Sleeman

He was hit several times during these rounds and did little in return; but once he visited Bartley's damaged ear, and once he got a good cross-buttock and fell heavily on his man.
— from The Virgin in Judgment by Eden Phillpotts

And so it was, though I had not been intending what the French call a double entendre at the time.
— from Eliza by Barry Pain

name suggests dark eyes and abundant hair, lithe limbs and a sinuous body, with twining hands and great eyes that gleam with a sort of ebon splendor.
— from Famous Affinities of History: The Romance of Devotion. Vol 1-4, Complete by Lyndon Orr