If within the limits of practical possibility one were to list the hypothetical requirements for an end of the Cold War, the following might stand forth: (1) General war leading to destruction of either the Communist or non-Communist systems; or (2) Prolongation of the present Cold War atmosphere until new and more interesting quarrels arise which make the present ones obsolete; or (3) Reconciliation of the Communist and anti-Communist systems, by some process not now imaginable, along the general lines of Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Grand Design;" or (4) Collapse of all major civilizations under impact of fissionable and thermonuclear weapons; or (5) Gradual erosion of the anti-Communist world and an eventual Communist victory by sustained Communist successes short of war—or the alternative of gradual erosion of the Communist world and the creation of a constitutionalist and libertarian probability of victory, also without the outbreak of general war.
— from Psychological Warfare by Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger

Not manuscript proofs—writing is suspicious, handwriting is complaisant,—but printed proofs.” As he spoke, Thénardier extracted from the envelope two copies of newspapers, yellow, faded, and strongly saturated with tobacco.
— from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

I had gazed upon the fortifications and impediments that seemed to keep human beings from entering the citadel of nature, and rashly and ignorantly I had repined.
— from Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

If you except, however, this very peculiar situation, any inequality in the contribution of individuals which can arise from such taxes, is much more than compensated by the very circumstance which occasions that inequality; the circumstance that every man's contribution is altogether voluntary; it being altogether in his power, either to consume, or not to consume, the commodity taxed.
— from An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith

The priest of Aricia, if I am right, was one of those sacred kings or human divinities on whose life the welfare of the community and even the course of nature in general are believed to be intimately dependent.
— from The Golden Bough: A Study of Magic and Religion by James George Frazer

He even pushed as far as Embrun, entered the cathedral one night, and despoiled the sacristy.
— from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

But on the other side is enlisted the charm of novelty, and the consciousness of fault and failure in the home system.
— from Demonology and Devil-lore by Moncure Daniel Conway

The acquisition of knowledge seldom engages the curiosity of nobles, who abhor the fatigue, and disdain the advantages, of study; and the only books which they peruse are the Satires of Juvenal, and the verbose and fabulous histories of Marius Maximus.
— 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

Now place a counter in every hole except the central one, No. 17, and the puzzle is to take off all the counters in a series of jumps, except the last counter, which must be left in that central hole.
— from Amusements in Mathematics by Henry Ernest Dudeney

The barbarians too, who, if defeated, could not hope to make good their retreat, were resolved either to conquer, or not to perish till they had severely punished their opponents.
— from The Works of the Emperor Julian, Vol. 1 by Emperor of Rome Julian

Obedience is never pure nor calm in him who reasons and disputes Obliged to his age for having weaned him from pleasure Observed the laws of marriage, than I either promised or expect Obstinacy and contention are common qualities Obstinacy is the sister of constancy Obstinacy and heat in argument are the surest proofs of folly Obstinate in growing worse Occasion to La Boetie to write his "Voluntary Servitude" Occasions of the least lustre are ever the most dangerous Occupy our thoughts about the general, and about universal cause Of the fleeting years each steals something from me Office of magnanimity openly and professedly to love and hate Oftentimes agitated with divers passions Old age: applaud the past and condemn the present Old men who retain the memory of things past Omit, as incredible, such things as they do not understand On all occasions to contradict and oppose One door into life, but a hundred thousand ways out One may be humble out of pride One may more boldly dare what nobody thinks you dare One may regret better times, but cannot fly from the present One must first know what is his own and what is not Only desire to become more wise, not more learned or eloquent Only secure harbour from the storms and tempests of life Only set the humours they would purge more violently in work Open speaking draws out discoveries, like wine and love Opinions they have of things and not by the things themselves Opinions we have are taken on authority and trust Opposition and contradiction entertain and nourish them Option now of continuing in life or of completing the voyage Order a purge for your brain, it will there be much better Order it so that your virtue may conquer your misfortune Ordinances it (Medicine) foists upon us Ordinary friendships, you are to walk with bridle in your hand Ordinary method of cure is carried on at the expense of life Others adore all of their own side Ought not only to have his hands, but his eyes, too, chaste Ought not to expect much either from his vigilance or power Ought to withdraw and retire his soul from the crowd Our extremest pleasure has some sort of groaning Our fancy does what it will, both with itself and us Our judgments are yet sick
— from Quotes and Images From The Works of Michel De Montaigne by Michel de Montaigne

And speaking from the depth of his heart he says, "Once more surrounded by all the members of my dear family, enjoying the countenance of numerous friends who have never deserted me, and possessing a competent share of all that can render life agreeable, I look up with gratitude to the Supreme Being, and feel that I am happy."
— from The International Monthly, Volume 2, No. 4, March, 1851 by Various

Reproduced from a fragment in the collection of Mr. Edward T. Cockcroft of New York City.
— from Old Time Wall Papers An Account of the Pictorial Papers on Our Forefathers' Walls with a Study of the Historical Development of Wall Paper Making and Decoration by Kate Sanborn

Thus ended the chapter of negotiation.
— from Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 4 (of 16) by United States. Congress

It is so firmly lodged against the trees as to prevent that, and as a freshet big enough to cover, or nearly cover it, would bring down a great quantity of new drift and deposit it here, the pile would grow bigger rather than smaller.
— from The Big Brother: A Story of Indian War by George Cary Eggleston

Miss Armstrong thinks you have become tired of waiting for her father, and that you’ve gone either to Chicago or New York.”
— from Lord Stranleigh Abroad by Robert Barr

On August 7, 1819, the decisive battle of Boyaca was fought, and Bolivar entered the capital of New Granada again crowned with laurels.
— from The History of Cuba, vol. 2 by Willis Fletcher Johnson

Thus ends the curious old narrative.
— from True Ghost Stories by Hereward Carrington