I was thinking when walking with our friend Gerard yesterday, and hearing him and his charming daughter dilate upon the beauties of the residence which they had forfeited, I was thinking what a strange thing life is, and that the fact of a box of papers belonging to him being in the possession of another person who only lives close by, for we were walking through Mowbray woods—”
— from Sybil, Or, The Two Nations by Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield

But whosoever, without possessing that desire of glory which makes one fear to displease those who judge his conduct, desires domination and power, very often seeks to obtain what he loves by most open crimes.
— from The City of God, Volume I by Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo

So the Rat went away, and sat on the river bank in the sun, and made up a song about them, which he called ‘DUCKS’ DITTY.’
— from The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

So you will have calm days, drowsy nights, and all the good business you have now, and none of the bad.
— from Dictionary of Quotations from Ancient and Modern, English and Foreign Sources Including Phrases, Mottoes, Maxims, Proverbs, Definitions, Aphorisms, and Sayings of Wise Men, in Their Bearing on Life, Literature, Speculation, Science, Art, Religion, and Morals, Especially in the Modern Aspects of Them by Wood, James, Rev.

“Yes, and such a charming one!” “He came down dressed.
— from Anna Karenina by Tolstoy, Leo, graf

For sure enough, a body of horse-soldiers had come down during my sleep, and were drawing near to us from the south-east, spread out in the shape of a fan and riding their horses to and fro in the deep parts of the heather.
— from Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

For this reason he commissioned Diego de Ordas and Francisco de Montejo, who were thorough men of business to see what they could make out of those men whom they might expect would demand their share.
— from The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Vol 1 (of 2) Written by Himself Containing a True and Full Account of the Discovery and Conquest of Mexico and New Spain. by Bernal Díaz del Castillo

He had arrived on the heights surrounding Madrid on his Coronation Day (December 2nd), and does not fail to remind his soldiers and his people of this auspicious coincidence.
— from Napoleon's Letters to Josephine, 1796-1812 For the First Time Collected and Translated, with Notes Social, Historical, and Chronological, from Contemporary Sources by Emperor of the French Napoleon I

Its finder has carried it off, therefore, to fulfil the ultimate destiny of a goose, while I continue to retain the hat of the unknown gentleman who lost his Christmas dinner.” “Did he not advertise?” “No.”
— from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

The cardinal went in this solemn procession well-nigh all the night, and the next day he said mass for a solemnity, wherewith he took a great cold and a continual fever which brought him into a frenzy, wherein he continued divers days.
— from The Wars of Religion in France 1559-1576 The Huguenots, Catherine de Medici and Philip II by James Westfall Thompson

Euery day they doo finde and discouer new countries, as in the yeare of fourescore and three, you may perceiue by the entry which was made by Antonio de Espeio, who, with his companions, did discouer a countrie, in the which they found fifteene prouinces, al ful of townes, which were full of houses of foure and fiue stories high, the which they did name New Mexico.
— from The History of the Great and Mighty Kingdom of China and the Situation Thereof, Volume 2 (of 2) by Juan González de Mendoza

He went to sleep dreaming of the star visible from the other side of the Holy Cross, dreaming dreams that men and women have dreamed since time began; of drinking, drinking, and drinking yet again, of life and love and blessedness from the fount of human lips; of the seal that should be the seal to service, not to self; of the gates ajar to a new life like the notch of sky where the rocks of the Pass opened portals to the blue valley.
— from The Freebooters of the Wilderness by Agnes C. Laut

But with a hoarse cry Drake dashed out of the conning-tower, where he was of course assisting Frobisher, ready to take charge if the latter were killed, and without a moment’s hesitation leaped overboard, swimming powerfully toward the rapidly-approaching torpedo.
— from A Chinese Command: A Story of Adventure in Eastern Seas by Harry Collingwood

I have since learned that the brigands who were sneaking around that station that night numbered nearly one hundred, and as one-half of them were under the influence of liquor, it is very likely that they would have committed desperate deeds had the occasion offered.
— from Anarchy and Anarchists A History of the Red Terror and the Social Revolution in America and Europe; Communism, Socialism, and Nihilism in Doctrine and in Deed; The Chicago Haymarket Conspiracy and the Detection and Trial of the Conspirators by Michael J. Schaack

Jimmy trudged home, kicking up more dust than was really necessary on the road, and having his cap drawn down over his eyes.
— from Jimmy Quixote: A Novel by Tom Gallon

His chief delight during the day, if unmolested, was to lie down under the shade of some inviting tree to read and study.
— from The Papers and Writings of Abraham Lincoln, Complete by Abraham Lincoln

Few, if any, can hope to possess such a representative collection; there are many who can find, however, curiously dressed dolls which are very helpful in learning something of local costumes and useful instructors in research after the habits and occupations of people who may have lived in places and districts little known to the present generation.
— from Chats on Household Curios by Fred. W. (Frederick William) Burgess