Nelson saw that the event was doubtful, or rather that there could be very little hope of the result.
— from The Life of Horatio, Lord Nelson by Robert Southey

Now we cannot tell a priori that any one of these special impulses forms part of the constitution of all men: and therefore we cannot state it as an absolute dictate of Reason that we should aim at any such special object.
— from The Methods of Ethics by Henry Sidgwick

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— from Rizal's own story of his life by José Rizal

Now whether he accomplished anything of real profit he himself must determine, or rather the ruling gods; but at least he purged me of such infatuate folly and insolence as yours, and tried to make me more temperate than I was by nature.
— from The Works of the Emperor Julian, Vol. 2 by Emperor of Rome Julian

They have attended more to the cure of diseases than to the conditions of health; and the improvements in medicine have been more than counterbalanced by the disuse of regular training.
— from The Republic by Plato

But when Ptolemy, despairing of retaining the league’s friendship, began to furnish Cleomenes with Euergetes jealous of the Macedonian policy of Aratus, helps Cleomenes.
— from The Histories of Polybius, Vol. 1 (of 2) by Polybius

I never saw a busier person than she seemed to be; yet it was difficult to say what she did: or rather, to discover any result of her diligence.
— from Jane Eyre: An Autobiography by Charlotte Brontë

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— from Rizal's own story of his life by José Rizal

Tarikh.—M.] The ambition of the Persian, to whom his enemies ascribe the virtues of a soldier and a statesman, was animated by the desire of revenging the disgrace of his fathers, and of wresting from the hands of the Romans the five provinces beyond the Tigris.
— 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

We see, then, that a democracy may be framed where the majority live by tillage or pasturage; for, as their property is but small, they will not be at leisure perpetually to hold public assemblies, but will be continually employed in following their own business, not having otherwise the means of living; nor will they be desirous of what another enjoys, but will rather like to follow their own business than meddle with state affairs and accept the offices of government, which will be attended with no great profit; for the major part of mankind are rather desirous of riches than honour (a proof of this is, that they submitted to the tyrannies in ancient times, and do now submit to the oligarchies, if no one hinders them in their usual occupations, or deprives them of their property; for some of them soon get rich, others are removed from poverty); besides, their having the right of election and calling their magistrates to account for their conduct when they come out of office, will satisfy their desire of honours, if any of them entertain that passion: for in some states, though the commonalty have not the right of electing the magistrates, yet it is vested in part of that body chosen to represent them: and it is sufficient for the people at large to possess the deliberative power: and this ought to be considered as a species of democracy; such was that formerly at Mantinsea: for which reason it is proper for the democracy we have been now treating of to have a power (and it has been usual for them to have it) of censuring their magistrates when out of office, and sitting in judgment upon all causes: but that the chief magistrates should be elected, and according to a certain census, which should vary with the rank of their office, or else not by a census, but according to their abilities for their respective appointments.
— from Politics: A Treatise on Government by Aristotle

92 Note 88 ( return ) [ Livy gives us a speech of Camillus on that subject, (v. 51—55,) full of eloquence and sensibility, in opposition to a design of removing the seat of government from Rome to the neighboring city of Veii.
— from History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 1 by Edward Gibbon

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— from Messages to the Bahá'í World: 1950–1957 by Effendi Shoghi

The two conditions are equally necessary: but the difficulty of reconciling them is so great as to account at once for the slowness with which this highest of all organisms has been developed.
— from A General View of Positivism Or, Summary exposition of the System of Thought and Life by Auguste Comte

In an effort to make the postal system efficient by insuring it against private competition and the consequent diminution of revenues, there was a provision (still in force, although modified), declaring the federal establishment a monopoly and making any infringement punishable by a fine.
— from The postal power of Congress: A study in constitutional expansion by Lindsay Rogers

By several of the signers of the declaration of rights, this position was fully and beautifully demonstrated.
— from A Biography of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, and of Washington and Patrick Henry With an appendix, containing the Constitution of the United States, and other documents by L. Carroll (Levi Carroll) Judson

Little Missouri's leading citizens were a wild crew, but with all their violence and their villainy, they were picturesque beings, and were by no means devoid of redeeming traits.
— from Roosevelt in the Bad Lands by Hermann Hagedorn

Hence it is that formerly a cold deathlike perspiration used to stand upon my brow as soon as any woman-creature approached me, and I myself believe that there must be something peculiar about the fair Alina, or Princess Gamaheh, as you will have it, although, with my plain human reason, I do not comprehend all that you are saying, but rather feel as if I were in some wild dream, or reading the Thousand and One Nights.
— from Specimens of German Romance; Vol. II. Master Flea by E. T. A. (Ernst Theodor Amadeus) Hoffmann