In this respect they are like the ivy which never strives to rise above the tree that sustains it, and which frequently even returns downwards when it has reached the top; for it seems to me that they also sink, in other words, render themselves less wise than they would be if they gave up study, who, not contented with knowing all that is intelligibly explained in their author, desire in addition to find in him the solution of many difficulties of which he says not a word, and never perhaps so much as thought.
— from Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting One's Reason and of Seeking Truth in the Sciences by René Descartes

And of such passion I could form no estimate, save by the miraculous expansion of those eyes which at once so delighted and appalled me—by the almost magical melody, modulation, distinctness and placidity of her very low voice—and by the fierce energy (rendered doubly effective by contrast with her manner of utterance) of the wild words which she habitually uttered.
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition Table Of Contents And Index Of The Five Volumes by Edgar Allan Poe

The convention, eager for public business ( with that first articulate emergence of the Trial just coming on ), dismisses these comparative miseres and despicabilities: splenetic Louvet must digest his spleen, regretfully for ever: Robespierre, dear to Patriotism, is dearer for the dangers he has run.
— from The French Revolution: A History by Thomas Carlyle

SYN: Peculiar, appertinent, personal, own, constitutional, special, befitting, adapted, suited, suitable, appropriate, just, fair, equitable, right, decent, becoming, fit.
— from A Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms or, Synonyms and Words of Opposite Meaning by Samuel Fallows

he said at length, and it came as a complete surprise to me that fellows ever really do say "So!"
— from Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse

Fui el representante de los industrias informáticas en la ISO (Organización Internacional de Normalización), y presidente del grupo redes del consorcio X/Open.
— from Entretiens / Interviews / Entrevistas by Marie Lebert

Dans le cas des Chroniques de Cybérie, nous avons pu lancer et maintenir une formule en raison des coûts d'entrée relativement faibles dans ce médium.
— from Entretiens / Interviews / Entrevistas by Marie Lebert

High rose the universal wail That mourned the monarch's death, and, pale With crushing woe, her hair unbound, Her eyes in floods of sorrow drowned, Forth from the inner chambers came With trembling feet each royal dame, Heedless of those who bade them stay They reached the field where Rávaṇ lay; There falling by their husband's side, “Ah, King!
— from The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse by Valmiki

"No—what?" "Man erlive, yer des oughter see 'im yistiddy when I take 'im dem papers ter dat speakin', down in one er dem po' white counties full er Radicals dat vote wid niggers.
— from The Sins of the Father: A Romance of the South by Dixon, Thomas, Jr.

What Miss Fairbairn thought was not to be read from her face; in other faces Esther read distaste or disapprobation.
— from A Red Wallflower by Susan Warner

During the extreme high water the western bank from El Rio down, which is formed entirely of 96 silt, was broken through in numerous places, and the mostly shallow channels either entered the river again below, or accumulated their waters on the back part of the flood plain, and by following the natural hollows and gullies gradually wound their way in the direction of the old Yuma road.
— from Old Mines of Southern California Desert-Mountain-Coastal Areas Including the Calico-Salton Sea Colorado River Districts and Southern Counties by Harold W. (Harold Wellman) Fairbanks

Love ends with hope, the sinking statesman's door Pours in the morning worshipper no more; 80 For growing names the weekly scribbler lies, To growing wealth the dedicator flies; From every room descends the painted face, That hung the bright Palladium of the place; And smoked in kitchens, or in auctions sold, To better features yields the frame of gold; For now no more we trace in every line
— from Poetical Works of Johnson, Parnell, Gray, and Smollett With Memoirs, Critical Dissertations, and Explanatory Notes by Thomas Gray

In the first three years the child is unable to speak, and therefore is exempted from every religious duty, but in the fourth year all its fruits shall be holy to praise the Lord, and the father is obliged to initiate the child in religious works.”
— from Studies in Judaism, First Series by S. (Solomon) Schechter

In the case of thorium-232, for example, radioactive decay proceeds so slowly that 14 billion years must elapse before one-half of an initial quantity decayed to a more stable configuration.
— from Worldwide Effects of Nuclear War: Some Perspectives by United States. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency

Gemstar first bought Nuvomedia (author of the Rocket eBook, the first ebook reading device) and SoftBook Press (author of the SoftBook Reader, the second ebook reading device) in January 2000, before buying the French 00h00.com, a producer of digital books, in September 2000.
— from Booknology: The eBook (1971-2010) by Marie Lebert

We strive with time at wrestling Till time be on our side And hope, our plumeless nestling, A full-fledged eaglet ride Down the loud length of storm its windward wings divide.
— from Songs Before Sunrise by Algernon Charles Swinburne

Another letter, beginning "Honoured Mother," deals with topics of a very different nature from either religious dogmas or the sapo philosophorum of his medicinal communication.
— from Benjamin Franklin, Self-Revealed, Volume 1 (of 2) A Biographical and Critical Study Based Mainly on his own Writings by Wiliam Cabell Bruce