For, besides continuing thus to enervate both body and mind, these conveniences lost with use almost all their power to please, and even degenerated into real needs, till the want of them became far more disagreeable than the possession of them had been pleasant.
— from The Social Contract & Discourses by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

The learned compiler forgot that Dion is relating not a real fact, but a dream of Severus; and dreams are circumscribed to no limits of time or space.
— 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

And thus the impostor above mentioned was enabled to proceed, from his ignorant Paphlagonians, to the enlisting of votaries, even among the Grecian philosophers, and men of the most eminent rank and distinction in Rome: nay, could engage the attention of that sage emperor Marcus Aurelius; so far as to make him trust the success of a military expedition to his delusive prophecies.
— from An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding by David Hume

" This day it rained nearly all day, and being Sunday, and nothing to do, we stopped up the scuppers and filled the decks with rain water, and bringing all our clothes on deck, had a grand wash, fore and aft.
— from Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana

Such was the infamous company in which I found myself, and though I took its measure directly, yet I did not make my escape, nor did I resolve never to go to the house again.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova

Do I, reader, negate you?
— from The Will to Believe, and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy by William James

But I will choose a site, whose latitude shall be 45 degrees (I respect not minutes) in the midst of the temperate zone, or perhaps under the equator, that [604] paradise of the world, ubi semper virens laurus , &c. where is a perpetual spring: the longitude for some reasons I will conceal.
— from The Anatomy of Melancholy by Robert Burton

But when one man kills, wounds, beats, or defames another, though he to whom the injury is done suffers, he who does it receives no benefit.
— from An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith

The general cures thus briefly examined and discussed, it remains now to apply these medicines to the three particular species or kinds, that, according to the several parts affected, each man may tell in some sort how to help or ease himself.
— from The Anatomy of Melancholy by Robert Burton

Gidsa obeyed, and Gemma’s long hair hung down in ringlets nearly to the ground.
— from The Sicilian Bandit From the Volume "Captain Paul" by Alexandre Dumas

Dinner is ready now, and, Gilbert, DON'T let Mrs. Rachel carve the geese.
— from Anne's House of Dreams by L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery

And in order still further to subdivide these shorter periods, the term of 177 days was employed as far as it would go; 177, however, is the half of a lunar year of 354 days, made up of 6 months of 30 days and 6 of 29 days, thus allowing 29.5 days in round numbers for each month.
— from Commentary on the Maya Manuscript in the Royal Public Library of Dresden by Ernst Wilhelm Förstemann

You give it to them, the people look at it and they drop it, right now.
— from Warren Commission (11 of 26): Hearings Vol. XI (of 15) by United States. Warren Commission

Arigládu na ang panihápun, Dinner is ready now.
— from A Dictionary of Cebuano Visayan by John U. Wolff

Of these the first three may be dated, in round number, about the year 1000; the fourth (A) belongs to the following half-century.
— from A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament, Vol. II. by Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener

“Chieve,” he said, “dot is rodden news.
— from Cappy Ricks Retires: But That Doesn't Keep Him from Coming Back Stronger Than Ever by Peter B. (Peter Bernard) Kyne

Mr. Valmont absent, we found it down; and down it remains now.—With what art Griffiths drew off the postilion, while I got into the chaise!
— from Secresy; or, Ruin on the Rock by E. (Eliza) Fenwick

It seemed to fascinate us, so cautiously did it rise nearer and nearer, till all of a sudden it rolled right over on its side, showing the creamy white of its under parts; there was a gleam of teeth, a swirl in the water, and the greasy lump of salt pork disappeared.
— from The Golden Magnet by George Manville Fenn