[3631] Oppression, fraud, cozening, usury, knavery, bawdry, murder, and tyranny, are the beginning of many ancient families: [3632] one hath been a bloodsucker, a parricide, the death of many a silly soul in some unjust quarrels, seditions, made many an orphan and poor widow, and for that he is made a lord or an earl, and his posterity gentlemen for ever after.
— from The Anatomy of Melancholy by Robert Burton

He and Chowder could not agree, and so they fitt upon the road, and Chowder bitt his thumb, and he swore he would do him a mischief, and he spoke saucy to mistress, whereby the squire turned him off in gudgeon; and by God’s providence we picked up another footman, called Umphry Klinker; a good sole as ever broke bread; which shews that a scalded cat may prove a good mouser, and a hound be staunch, thof he has got narro hare on his buttocks; but the proudest nose may be bro’t to the grinestone, by sickness and misfortunes. 0
— from The Expedition of Humphry Clinker by T. (Tobias) Smollett

When you leave Kinsay and travel a day's journey to the south-east, through a plenteous region, passing a succession of dwellings and charming gardens, you reach the city of TANPIJU, a great, rich, and fine city, under Kinsay.
— from The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 2 by Rustichello of Pisa

The first, called Urda, knew the Past; the second, called Verandi, saw the Present unfold itself before her eyes, hour by hour and minute by minute, and when to-day had become yesterday, her older sister gathered up the departed day and entered it on her record.
— from Myths of the Rhine by M. Xavier

He had done all that a skilful commander could do: but the result was a foregone conclusion unless king Edward was guilty of some gross blunder.
— from Battles of English History by H. B. (Hereford Brooke) George

He was so much in repute that no wedding or festivity was considered complete anywhere in the range of a day's ride from Canéa unless Karalambo was there; and at other times he used to sing in the cafés on the Marina, screaming, to the strain of a naturally fine tenor, songs which, though to me not even music, used to melt his audiences into tears.
— from The Cretan Insurrection of 1866-7-8 by William James Stillman

A violent storm was now raging, and their footsteps being deadened by the roar of the wind, the French crept up, killed the Portuguese sentry on their side of the bridge before he could give the alarm, and then crawled across the narrow line of masonry.
— from With Moore at Corunna by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty

"Her name, which they said was given her by her kupuna , Hikiau, who was a favorite chief under Kamehameha the great, was Kalaninuiahilapalapa, but we always called her Lani.
— from Six Prize Hawaiian Stories of the Kilohana Art League by W. N. Armstrong

Dey spread mat 'pon de groun', dey tell um say dey wan' fo' crown um king.
— from Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef: West African Folk Tales by Henry W. Ward

They grabbed the slipping hempen strands, and thus checked the falling craft until Koku could get a better grip.
— from Tom Swift and His Photo Telephone or the Picture That Saved a Fortune by Victor Appleton