Then he discussed the new constitution, and said he despaired of getting a deliberative assembly, because the majority would always be stupid and wrong-headed.
— from A Diplomat in Japan The inner history of the critical years in the evolution of Japan when the ports were opened and the monarchy restored, recorded by a diplomatist who took an active part in the events of the time, with an account of his personal experiences during that period by Ernest Mason Satow

The poor, on the contrary, make a great gossip and display about bereavement; and they are right.
— from What's Wrong with the World by G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton

But there is another sort of madness that proceeds from Folly, so far from being any way injurious or distasteful that it is thoroughly good and desirable; and this happens when by a harmless mistake in the judgment of things the mind is freed from those cares which would otherwise gratingly afflict it, and smoothed over with a content and satisfaction it could not under other circumstances so happily enjoy.
— from In Praise of Folly Illustrated with Many Curious Cuts by Desiderius Erasmus

The leaves at the first breaking out are crumpled, and afterwards like the beech leaves, but smaller and greener, and dented about the edges.
— from The Complete Herbal To which is now added, upwards of one hundred additional herbs, with a display of their medicinal and occult qualities physically applied to the cure of all disorders incident to mankind: to which are now first annexed, the English physician enlarged, and key to Physic. by Nicholas Culpeper

A few inquiries amongst the ticket collectors and the porters of the two small railway stations would give additional details as to the appearance of the two men; the inspection of the collected tickets would show at once where they came from that morning.
— from The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale by Joseph Conrad

—Basco also effected the conquest of the Batanes Islands to the north of Luzon, establishing garrisons and definitely annexing them to the colony.
— from A History of the Philippines by David P. Barrows

As fatal be it to her as the draught Of which great Alexander drunk, and died; And with her let it work like Borgia's wine, Whereof his sire the Pope was poisoned!
— from The Jew of Malta by Christopher Marlowe

We got to the Rectory in Kent in time for dinner, at which I was the object of great and devoted attention of both, especially of my aunt.
— from The Romance of Lust: A classic Victorian erotic novel by Anonymous

The lotuses in close array Their passing loveliness display, And pard and tiger, deer and snake Haunt every glade and dell and brake.
— from The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse by Valmiki

Pécuchet gave a different account of the matter: “Monotheism comes from the Hebrews; the Trinity from the Indians; the Logos belongs to Plato, and the Virgin Mother to Asia.”
— from Bouvard and Pécuchet: A Tragi-comic Novel of Bourgeois Life, part 2 by Gustave Flaubert

Every now and then they would pass a prospect hole, which showed that they were not, by any means, the first to tramp up the gulches and drink at the crystal streams.
— from Buffalo Roost A Story of a Young Men's Christian Association Boys' Department by Frank H. (Frank Howbert) Cheley

We do not here pretend to give a detailed account of a bull-fight.
— from Wanderings in Spain by Théophile Gautier

To this question the Prophet determined to give a direct answer, in order to draw Lady Enid away from the more dangerous subjects.
— from The Prophet of Berkeley Square by Robert Hichens

I am struck with the way the English always speak of them—with a shudder, as gloomy, as dirty, as evil-smelling, as suffocating, as freezing, as anything and everything but admirably picturesque.
— from Italian Hours by Henry James

In the early dawn of the 25th the Germans could see great and dangerous activity in the Canadian trenches, which hummed like a hive of bees about to swarm.
— from Canada in Flanders, Volume II by Beaverbrook, Max Aitken, Baron

You can row easily and gently all day, and you can row yourself blind and black in the face in ten minutes, just as you like.
— from The Works of Oliver Wendell Holmes: An Index of the Project Gutenberg Editions by Oliver Wendell Holmes

She had been gone all day, all night!
— from Under Handicap A Novel by Jackson Gregory

The groups above described are all formed of circular arcs, and include all truly useful and beautiful arches for ordinary work.
— from The Stones of Venice, Volume 1 (of 3) by John Ruskin

Soon after the first-half-year was concluded and the accounts published, which was in the month of September (my first September with the Glasgow and South-Western), Mr. Wainwright handed to me a large sheet of closely printed figures, giving a detailed analysis and comparison of the accounts of five of the principal English and the three principal Scottish railways in columnar form, with a request that I should take out the figures and compile for printing a similar statement for the past half-year, from the accounts of the eight companies.
— from Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland by Joseph Tatlow