A step further is taken, and the predication good or bad is no longer made of the particular motives but of the entire nature of a man, out of which motive grows as grow the plants out of the soil.
— from Human, All Too Human: A Book for Free Spirits by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

To ask or search I blame thee not, for Heav’n Is as the Book of God before thee set, Wherein to read his wondrous Works, and learne His Seasons, Hours, or Days, or Months, or Yeares: This to attain, whether Heav’n move or Earth, Imports not, if thou reck’n right, the rest From Man or Angel the great Architect Did wisely to conceal, and not divulge His secrets to be scann’d by them who ought Rather admire; or if they list to try Conjecture, he his Fabric of the Heav’ns Hath left to thir disputes, perhaps to move His laughter at thir quaint Opinions wide Hereafter, when they come to model Heav’n And calculate the Starrs, how they will weild The mightie frame, how build, unbuild, contrive To save appeerances, how gird the Sphear With Centric and Eccentric scribl’d o’re, Cycle and Epicycle, Orb in Orb: Alreadie by thy reasoning this I guess, Who art to lead thy ofspring, and supposest That Bodies bright and greater should not serve The less not bright, nor Heav’n such journies run, Earth sitting still, when she alone receaves The benefit: consider first, that Great Or Bright inferrs not Excellence: the Earth Though, in comparison of Heav’n, so small, Nor glistering, may of solid good containe More plenty then the Sun that barren shines, Whose vertue on it self workes no effect, But in the fruitful Earth; there first receavd His beams, unactive else, thir vigor find.
— from Paradise Lost by John Milton

“P.S. I would have you comfort yourself as much as possible, for Mr Fitzpatrick is in no manner of danger; so that whatever other grievous crimes you may have to repent of, the guilt of blood is not among the number.”
— from History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding

His secrets to be scanned by them who ought Rather admire; or, if they list to try Conjecture, he his fabrick of the Heavens Hath left to their disputes, perhaps to move His laughter at their quaint opinions wide Hereafter; when they come to model Heaven And calculate the stars, how they will wield The mighty frame; how build, unbuild, contrive To save appearances; how gird the sphere With centrick and eccentrick scribbled o'er, Cycle and epicycle, orb in orb: Already by thy reasoning this I guess, Who art to lead thy offspring, and supposest That bodies bright and greater should not serve The less not bright, nor Heaven such journeys run, Earth sitting still, when she alone receives The benefit: Consider first, that great Or bright infers not excellence: the Earth
— from Paradise Lost by John Milton

For I must here once more repeat that it is a miserable philosophy if, according to the old plan, we establish rules and principles wholly regardless of all moral forces, and then, as soon as these forces make their appearance, we begin to count exceptions which we thereby establish as it were theoretically, that is, make into rules; or if we resort to an appeal to genius, which is above all rules, thus giving out by implication, not only that rules were only made for fools, but also that they themselves are no better than folly.
— from On War — Volume 1 by Carl von Clausewitz

What wit in the world can persuade another that the story of the Princess Floripes and Guy of Burgundy is not true, or that of Fierabras and the bridge of Mantible, which happened in the time of Charlemagne?
— from Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Sabbatarianism sees a great deal of hard work going on, but is not much troubled so long as it is ugly and dismal work.
— from Demonology and Devil-lore by Moncure Daniel Conway

As is well said in these lines of Homer, the gift of beauty is not lightly to be thrown away, that glorious gift which none can bestow save the gods alone— [Greek: outoi hapoblaet erti theon erikuoea dora, ossa ken autoi dosin, ekon douk an tis eloito].[1]
— from The Essays of Arthur Schopenhauer: the Wisdom of Life by Arthur Schopenhauer

There is a lack in the make-up of a person who has no appreciation of beauty, who does not thrill before a great picture or an entrancing sunset, or a glimpse of beauty in nature.
— from Pushing to the Front by Orison Swett Marden

The most important group of buildings is naturally that devoted to monastic life.
— from The Project Gutenberg Encyclopedia Volume 1 of 28 by Project Gutenberg

One of the arches was surmounted by a group of blacks in native costume, armed with bows, arrows and spears, which they wielded realistically.
— from Down Under with the Prince by Everard Cotes

That, as the Tribunal will observe, is headed “Gaining of Bases in Norway (extract from War Diary)” and bears the date of the 3rd of October 1939.
— from Trial of the Major War Criminals Before the International Military Tribunal, Nuremburg, 14 November 1945-1 October 1946, Volume 3 by Various

He was, I afterwards learned, a determined gamester, of broken, if not ruined fortunes, without principles, and stained with many vices; yet this man I too soon perceived the light Rosolia had selected as her chief favourite.
— from Mystery and Confidence: A Tale. Vol. 3 by Elizabeth Sibthorpe Pinchard

"I suppose," I said, "you are able to get out on Sundays?" "Once a month I goes 'ome, but I nusses the baby on Sunday, as we ain't so busy.
— from The Strand Magazine, Vol. 01, No. 05, May 1891 An Illustrated Monthly by Various

The fair green of Ballinrobe is now a quagmire, and the men under canvas have had the roughest possible night of it.
— from Disturbed Ireland Being the Letters Written During the Winter of 1880-81. by Bernard Henry Becker

Our first game of ball in Naples and the first of our trip on European soil was played in the Campo de Mart, or "Field of Mars," February 19th.
— from A Ball Player's Career Being the Personal Experiences and Reminiscensces of Adrian C. Anson by Adrian Constantine Anson

I have discussed the probable origin of domestic pigeons at some, yet quite insufficient, length; because when I first kept pigeons and watched the several kinds, well knowing how truly they breed, I felt fully as much difficulty in believing that since they had been domesticated they had all proceeded from a common parent, as any naturalist could in coming to a similar conclusion in regard to the many species of finches, or other groups of birds, in nature.
— from The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection Or, the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life, 6th Edition by Charles Darwin

—"When a noble cause is lost in the field, when its spotless banners are trailed in the dust by the base hordes of the oppressor, when appeal to the God of Battles is no longer possible, should the friends of that cause fold their arms in abject submission?" Candidate.
— from The Oaths, Signs, Ceremonies and Objects of the Ku-Klux-Klan. A Full Expose. By A Late Member by Anonymous