I stood the storm unmoved, however, and Madame d’Urfe only laughed at her niece’s paroxysms, and seemed delighted to find herself sitting opposite to me with the servant of Selenis beside her, while Mimi was highly pleased to be so close to me.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova

Chia Lan was one who always tried to avoid trouble, so that he lost no time in pressing down the inkslab, while with all the words his mouth could express, he tried to pacify him, adding "My dear brother, it's no business of yours and mine."
— from Hung Lou Meng, or, the Dream of the Red Chamber, a Chinese Novel, Book I by Xueqin Cao

Now to him who has a mind diseased anything is agreeable which is not opposed to him, but that which is equal or superior is hateful to him, and therefore the lover will not brook any superiority or equality on the part of his beloved; he is always employed in reducing him to inferiority.
— from Phaedrus by Plato

Even in Manchester, which suffered so fearfully by having the cotton cut off from her mills, they had a monster demonstration in favor of the North at the very time when their workmen were almost famishing.
— from Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, Complete by Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson) Grant

He who hath received greater cannot boast that it is of his own merit, nor lift himself up above others, nor contemn those beneath him; for he is the greater and the better who ascribeth least to himself, and in giving thanks is the humbler and more devout; and he who holdeth himself to be viler than all, and judgeth himself to be the more unworthy, is the apter for receiving greater things.
— from The Imitation of Christ by à Kempis Thomas

They have a malignant delight in presaging mischief, when they are not employed in doing it: they are miserable and disappointed at every instance of the public prosperity.
— from The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 01 (of 12) by Edmund Burke

Here are Mr. Diafoirus the father, and Mr. Diafoirus the son, who are coming to visit you.
— from The Imaginary Invalid by Molière

For her part, she resolved upon doing it forever, and seeing on one side her daughter and myself, who were in a situation to live, and that was all; on the other, Diderot, Grimm, D’ Holbach and Madam d’Epinay, who promised great things, and gave some little ones, she could not conceive it was possible to be in the wrong with the wife of a farmer-general and baron.
— from The Confessions of Jean Jacques Rousseau — Complete by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Tactfully she led Harry Stride on to other topics, and his jealous eyes noted that she made no excuse to return to the house, in fact, she drew him off down a little-used path under the trees; nor was it until an hour after that they returned, a little late for lunch, Verna declaring, publicly, that they had had a most delightful walk.
— from Forging the Blades: A Tale of the Zulu Rebellion by Bertram Mitford

Next mornin’ I was outer the door before I was awake, expecting to fin’ a plump lamb, or maybe a kid or a turkey, but there was nothing, sir, but the smell of that stink eat hanging around most dreadful.
— from Tales from the Veld by Ernest Glanville

This has been placed at the corner of University Street and Pine Avenue (some distance north of the old site), on ground donated by Lord Strathcona, who also generously contributed over half a million dollars towards its erection and equipment.
— from Montreal, 1535-1914. Vol. 2. Under British Rule, 1760-1914 by William H. (William Henry) Atherton

That which comes to us each mo 44 ment by the order of God is best and holiest and most divine for us.
— from Abandonment; or, Absolute Surrender to Divine Providence by Jean Pierre de Caussade

‘Your pa was once a little particular in his attentions, my dears,’ said Mrs Todgers, ‘but to be your ma was too much happiness denied me.
— from Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens

At present, there are sixteen wine-houses in Xeres, and nine in Port St. Mary: the former would gladly change their position, if this were possible; for the merchant of Xeres has a manifest disadvantage in not being able to see his goods shipped, and put beyond the reach of damage and plunder.
— from Spain in 1830, vol. 2 by Henry D. (Henry David) Inglis

He had the sense to comprehend that the power of a prince, however absolute, must depend upon the prosperity of his subjects.
— from PG Edition of Netherlands series — Complete by John Lothrop Motley

And presently, coming to a little dingle, about half a mile down the hillside, well hid with dead bracken and blackberry bushes, I consulted with the girl.
— from The Splendid Spur Being Memoirs of the Adventures of Mr. John Marvel, a Servant of His Late Majesty King Charles I, in the Years 1642-3 by Arthur Quiller-Couch

Houghton and Mifflin desire to print
— from Julia Ward Howe, 1819-1910 by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards

Suleiman came to kiss my hand at my departure.
— from Ismailia by Baker, Samuel White, Sir