As instances, you have all history: the Greeks, the Romans, the Persians, the Egyptians, the Russians, the Germans, the French, the English, the Spaniards, the Americans, the South Americans, the Japanese, the Chinese, the Hindus, the Turks—a thousand wild and tame religions, every kind of government that can be thought of, from tiger to house-cat, each nation knowing it has the only true religion and the only sane system of government, each despising all the others, each an ass and not suspecting it, each proud of its fancied supremacy, each perfectly sure it is the pet of God, each without undoubting confidence summoning Him to take command in time of war, each surprised when He goes over to the enemy, but by habit able to excuse it and resume compliments—in a word, the whole human race content, always content, persistently content, indestructibly content, happy, thankful, proud, no matter what its religion is, nor whether its master be tiger or house-cat.
— from What Is Man? and Other Essays by Mark Twain

Her kindness and her worth to spy, You need but gaze on Ellen's eye; Not Katrine in her mirror blue Gives back the shaggy banks more true, Than every free-born glance confessed The guileless movements of her breast; Whether joy danced in her dark eye, Or woe or pity claimed a sigh, Or filial love was glowing there, Or meek devotion poured a prayer, Or tale of injury called forth
— from The Lady of the Lake by Walter Scott

For that her soft arm presses his Close to her fond, maternal breast; He tells her, each new kindness is The effectual sum of all the rest!
— from The Angel in the House by Coventry Patmore

The prefect seemed not to be coming, and the members of the jury felt much embarrassed, not knowing if they ought to begin the meeting or still wait.
— from Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

The descendants of those tiercelets are even now known in France under those names.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova

Danu had lent attentive ear The words which Ráma spoke to hear, And thus, a speaker skilled and tried, To that great orator replied: “No heavenly lore my soul endows, Naught know I of thy Maithil spouse.
— from The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse by Valmiki

But strong reflection made me write: Wherefore since you in tales delight, Which I, in justice, after all, Not Esop’s, but Esopian call; Since he invented but a few; I more, and some entirely new, Keeping indeed the ancient style, With fresh materials all the while.
— from The Fables of Phædrus Literally translated into English prose with notes by Phaedrus

"But if it be so good a name, sir," I said, gingerly being conscious of presumption, "why did Dr. Erasmus not keep it himself instead of turning it into Greek?"
— from In the Valley by Harold Frederic

"It is enough, noble knight, if thou wilt thyself condescend to conduct him," said the cavalier; "whereby I shall be left in freedom to follow a more urgent duty.
— from Calavar; or, The Knight of The Conquest, A Romance of Mexico by Robert Montgomery Bird

Second war at Esopus, now Kingston, in Ulster county, New York.
— from The Every Day Book of History and Chronology Embracing the Anniversaries of Memorable Persons and Events in Every Period and State of the World, from the Creation to the Present Time by Joel Munsell

He lit a match and turned on the gas over the bed—it was the most dangerous thing he could do—he knew that well enough, none knew it better—it was offering himself as a fair mark when the others rushed in, as they would in a moment now—but the Skeeter and his gang and this man here must have no misconception of his purpose, his reason for being there, the same as their own, the theft of the stones—and no misconception as to his SUCCESS.
— from The Adventures of Jimmie Dale by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard

It is possible that some characters had a value in Elam not known in Babylonia, or ideographic values not yet recognized.
— from Babylonian and Assyrian Laws, Contracts and Letters by C. H. W. (Claude Hermann Walter) Johns

"My life went darkling like the earth, nor knew it shone a star, To that dear Heaven on which it hung in worship from afar.
— from It May Be True, Vol. 3 (of 3) by Wood, Henry, Mrs.

"It is officially reported in St. Petersburg that a force of Chinese soldiers and villagers surrounded the house of a Russian subject named Said Effendi, near Khotan, in Chinese Turkestan.
— from The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu by Sax Rohmer

Again a few moments of silence; then Lulu said, "Papa, you have often told me I inherit my temper from you, and though I could never believe it if anybody else had told me, I have to believe you because I know you always speak the truth; but how did you ever conquer it so completely?" "By determined effort, at the same time looking to God for help," he replied; "and only by the same means can I even now keep it under control."
— from Elsie's Vacation and After Events by Martha Finley