c’est le plus grand plaisir du monde,” being the most like a French humour in the world.
— from The Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete by Samuel Pepys

Sam: Of such examples adde mee to the roul, 290 Mee easily indeed mine may neglect, But Gods propos'd deliverance not so.
— from The Poetical Works of John Milton by John Milton

Sanudo says that in going into action every vessel should make the greatest possible display of colours; gonfalons and broad banners should float from stem to stern, and gay pennons all along the bulwarks; whilst it was impossible to have too much of noisy music, of pipes, trumpets, kettle-drums, and what not, to put heart into the crew and strike fear into the enemy.[24] So Joinville, in a glorious passage, describes the galley of his kinsman, the Count of Jaffa, at the landing of St. Lewis in Egypt:— "That galley made the most gallant figure of them all, for it was painted all over, above water and below, with scutcheons of the count's arms, the field of which was or with a cross patée gules .[25]
— from The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1 by Rustichello of Pisa

Mourning Materials Lustreless silks, such as crepe de chine, georgette, chiffon, grosgrain, peau de soie, dull finish charmeuse and taffeta, and all plain woolen materials, are suitable for deepest mourning.
— from Etiquette by Emily Post

I never noticed it before.' 'Yes, I think it rather pretty,' said the beadle, glancing proudly downwards at the large brass buttons which embellished his coat.
— from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

“You think they got plenty deer in the wood, La Folle?” he had inquired, with the calculating air of an experienced hunter.
— from The Awakening, and Selected Short Stories by Kate Chopin

—By no means what? EDMUND. Persuade me to the murder of your lordship; But that I told him the revenging gods ’Gainst parricides did all their thunders bend; Spoke with how manifold and strong a bond The child was bound to the father; sir, in fine, Seeing how loathly opposite I stood To his unnatural purpose, in fell motion With his prepared sword, he charges home My unprovided body, latch’d mine arm;
— from The Tragedy of King Lear by William Shakespeare

ANT: Gratify, please, delight, amuse, entify.
— from A Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms or, Synonyms and Words of Opposite Meaning by Samuel Fallows

The laws can not prescribe to the electors the principles by which they shall direct their choice, but it makes a great practical difference by what principles they think they ought to direct it; and the whole of that great question is involved in the inquiry whether they should make it a condition that the representative shall adhere to certain opinions laid down for him by his constituents.
— from Considerations on Representative Government by John Stuart Mill

The genus Pterocodon differs from the closely allied Pterocorys , its ancestral form, in the development of numerous solid feet around the terminal mouth, similar to the terminal corona of Calocyclas .
— from Report on the Radiolaria Collected by H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-1876, Second Part: Subclass Osculosa; Index Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-76, Vol. XVIII by Ernst Haeckel

Many and grievous perils do environ baby-life by the Ganges,—perils of dry nurses, perils by wolves, perils by crocodiles, perils by the Evil Eye, perils by kidnappers, perils by cobras, perils by devils.
— from The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 01, No. 05, March, 1858 A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politics by Various

The children decided to bury it, and after a becoming silence their voices could be heard singing "Home, Sweet Home," as the body was being lowered into the grave previously dug by Boulou, who had to be forcibly restrained from going on digging it after the obsequies were over.
— from Red Pottage by Mary Cholmondeley

Then I axed him was Lewis a good provider? did he cum home arly nites?
— from The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 1: Essays, Sketches, and Letters by Artemus Ward

He loved a story and he early commenced to write down these fables, making of them such delightful works of art that all America is his debtor, not only for thus preserving the folklore of a primitive people in their American environment, but also for the genuine pleasure derived from the stories themselves.
— from History of American Literature by Reuben Post Halleck

To give to large books the greatest possible degree of strength, it is usual to affix Russia bands to them.
— from A Manual of the Art of Bookbinding Containing full instructions in the different branches of forwarding, gilding, and finishing. Also, the art of marbling book-edges and paper. by James B. (James Bartram) Nicholson

For the controversy, Ariosto-Tasso, see Vivaldi , La Più Grande polemica del Cinquecento (Catanzaro, Caliò, 1895).
— from Memoirs of the Dukes of Urbino, Volume 3 (of 3) Illustrating the Arms, Arts, and Literature of Italy, from 1440 To 1630 by James Dennistoun

Adelaide of Savoy, the Second Dauphine The First Dauphin The Duke of Burgundy, the Second Dauphin Petite Madame BOOK 3. Henrietta of England, Monsieur's First Consort The Due de Berri The Duchesse de Berri Mademoiselle d'Orleans, Louise-Adelaide de Chartres Mademoiselle de Valois, Consort of the Prince of Modena The Illegitimate Children of the Regent, Duc d'Orleans The Chevalier de Lorraine Philip V., King of Spain The Duchess, Consort of the Duc de Bourbon The Younger Duchess Duc Louis de Bourbon Francois-Louis, Prince de Conti La Grande Princesse de Conti The Princess Palatine, Consort of Prince Francois-Louis de Conti The Princesse de Conti, Louise-Elizabeth, Consort of Louis-Armand Louis-Armand, Prince de Conti The Abbe Dubois Mr. Law BOOK 4. Victor Amadeus II.
— from Memoirs of the Court of Louis XIV. and of the Regency — Volume 01 by Orléans, Charlotte-Elisabeth, duchesse d'

Now even at that moment, with Messer Guido politely declining, and Messer Folco still in a mood between smiling and frowning on account of my presumption, and I gaping open-mouthed, and the guests that were gathered about us staring eagerly at the parchment which my dear friend held in his hand, something curious occurred.
— from The God of Love by Justin H. (Justin Huntly) McCarthy