It was always: “When I go back into Northamptonshire, or when I return to Mansfield, I shall do so and so.”
— from Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

It is true that he that thinks so may have a clear idea of duration; he may also have a clear idea of a very great length of duration; he may also have a clear idea of the comparison of that great one with still a greater: but it not being possible for him to include in his idea of any duration, let it be as great as it will, the WHOLE EXTENT TOGETHER OF A DURATION, WHERE HE SUPPOSES NO END, that part of his idea, which is still beyond the bounds of that large duration he represents to his own thoughts, is very obscure and undetermined.
— from An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, Volume 1 MDCXC, Based on the 2nd Edition, Books 1 and 2 by John Locke

As to this whole Book of Esther in the present Hebrew copy, it is so very imperfect, in a case where the providence of God was so very remarkable, and the Septuagint and Josephus have so much of religion, that it has not so much as the name of God once in it; and it is hard to say who made that epitome which the Masorites have given us for the genuine book itself; no religious Jews could well be the authors of it, whose education obliged them to have a constant regard to God, and whatsoever related to his worship; nor do we know that there ever was so imperfect a copy of it in the world till after the days of Barchochab, in the second century.
— from Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus

“He selected a territory which was then employed as garden-ground, but is now the territory of Bangkok.
— from Travels in the Central Parts of Indo-China (Siam), Cambodia, and Laos (Vol. 1 of 2) During the Years 1858, 1859, and 1860 by Henri Mouhot

Therefore to him who possesses virtues it is a great virtue to despise glory; for contempt of it is seen by God, but is not manifest to human judgment.
— from The City of God, Volume I by Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo

King Canute took as hostages from all lendermen and great bondes in Norway either their sons, brothers, or other near connections, or the men who were dearest to them and appeared to him most suitable; by which he, as before observed, secured their fidelity to him.
— from Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway by Snorri Sturluson

a very great beauty I never knew or heard of before; (4) I saw Waller the poet, whom I never saw before.
— from The Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete by Samuel Pepys

“They wouldn’t let me speak,” continued the old gentleman bitterly; “I never was allowed to get a word in edgewise; I was shut up at once with some impertinent remark.
— from The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition, Vol. 07 by Robert Louis Stevenson

Great Britain is no longer subject to the imputation of exciting pirates and savages against us.
— from Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 1 (of 16) by United States. Congress

They encouraged them to till the ground by introducing new seeds, and by giving the natives valuable and practical information.
— from The Story of Malta by Maturin Murray Ballou

Whereas, if we increase our fishery, a greater and a greater bounty is needed by foreign nations.
— from Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 1 (of 16) by United States. Congress

The son of Abderrahman III, who reigned fifteen years as Hacam II, was a gifted bibliophile, if not a scholar, for he collected, read, and annotated (it is said) a library of four hundred thousand volumes.
— from Spain by Frederick A. (Frederick Albion) Ober

This does not say that everything here is governed by incontrovertible "natural" law which needs no human decision as to raw materials, machinery, prices, wages, news-dissemination, education of children, etc.; but it does mean that decisions here must be limited by brute facts and based on science and human wants.
— from Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil by W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt) Du Bois

And, talking upon that subject, I would willingly read to your lordship, in order to pass away the time betwixt and supper"— "I beg I may not interfere with family arrangements," said Lord Glenallan, "but I never taste anything after sunset.
— from The Antiquary — Volume 02 by Walter Scott

We stumbled on our discovery in this wise:—A few evenings ago we were reading the third volume of a very fine edition of Boswell’s “Johnson,” kindly placed at our disposal by Lady Riddell of Strontian—and a good edition of a good book is no small matter to one so far removed from libraries as we are—when we came to a page that described Johnson’s meeting with a gentleman who had been his companion at Pembroke College, Oxford, some fifty years previously.
— from Nether Lochaber The Natural History, Legends, and Folk-lore of the West Highlands by Stewart, Alexander, Rev.

He may insure the goods, but is not required to do so unless instructed [124] or is required by usage, which plays a large part in this matter and must be observed except as qualified by instructions.
— from Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman by Albert Sidney Bolles