And yet, as men of sense, we ought to see that our separate interests are not alone at stake in the present congress: there is also the question whether we have still time to save Sicily, the whole of which in my opinion is menaced by Athenian ambition; and we ought to find in the name of that people more imperious arguments for peace than any which I can advance, when we see the first power in Hellas watching our mistakes with the few ships that she has at present in our waters, and under the fair name of alliance speciously seeking to turn to account the natural hostility that exists between us.
— from The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides

No, Lizzy, let me once in my life feel how much I have been to blame.
— from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

AT THE PERKINS INSTITUTION [Tuscumbia, October 24, 1887.] dear little blind girls I will write you a letter I thank you for pretty desk I did write to mother in memphis on it mother and mildred came home wednesday mother brought me a pretty new dress and hat papa did go to huntsville he brought me apples and candy I and teacher will come to boston and see you nancy is my doll she does cry I do rock nancy to sleep mildred is sick doctor will give her medicine to make her well.
— from The Story of My Life With her letters (1887-1901) and a supplementary account of her education, including passages from the reports and letters of her teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, by John Albert Macy by Helen Keller

If I live a few months, or it may be even a few weeks longer, I hope to have seen something of three elections—one in Canada, one in the United Kingdom, and the other here.
— from The Art of Public Speaking by J. Berg (Joseph Berg) Esenwein

In short, Nozdrev’s whole lineage was passed in review; and many of its members in the ascending line fared badly in the process.
— from Dead Souls by Nikolai Vasilevich Gogol

57th row —Knit two; make one in manner directed; knit rest until four remain; knit two together; knit two.
— from The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness A Complete Hand Book for the Use of the Lady in Polite Society by Florence Hartley

Hitherto the human face had mixed often in my dreams, but not despotically nor with any special power of tormenting.
— from Confessions of an English Opium-Eater by Thomas De Quincey

The grave of the captain killed at Tonquin had no mourner on its marble slab, no flowers, no wreath.
— from Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant

In this case the welfare not merely of individual men but of the community is involved.
— from Introduction to the Science of Sociology by E. W. (Ernest Watson) Burgess

I have seen the route of an Indian pilgrim caravan, laid down in several maps as starting from Maskat, and coming by Nedjed to Mekka; but I could obtain no information respecting it; that such, however, existed formerly, appears from the frequent mention of it made by the historian Asamy.
— from Travels in Arabia; comprehending an account of those territories in Hedjaz which the Mohammedans regard as sacred by John Lewis Burckhardt

Like the earth's central fire, it may be smothered for a time; the ocean may overwhelm it; mountains may press it down; but its inherent and unconquerable force will heave both the ocean and the land, and at some time or other, in some place or other, the volcano will break out, and flame up to heaven."
— from The Great Speeches and Orations of Daniel Webster With an Essay on Daniel Webster as a Master of English Style by Edwin Percy Whipple

Adverting to this prejudice, the admirable Barclay says, “We must not think his” (Abraham’s) “faith was built upon his outward senses, but proceeded from the secret persuasion of God’s spirit in his heart;”—“by which many times faith is begotten and strengthened without any of these outward and visible helps; as we may observe in many passages of the Holy Scriptures, where it is only mentioned, ‘ And God said ,’ &c., ‘ And the word of the Lord came ’ unto such and such, ‘ saying ,’ &c.
— from Unitarianism Defended A Series of Lectures by Three Protestant Dissenting Ministers of Liverpool by John Hamilton Thom

The threat filled Kipps with splendid anticipations whenever Shalford went marking off in Minton's department.
— from Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells

Many other illustrations might, of course, readily be given of what may be termed the literary existence of giants, but enough has been quoted to show how valuable these personages have in poesy and general literature.
— from Myth-Land by F. Edward (Frederick Edward) Hulme

‘We should find ourselves so much occupied in maintaining order in Asia that we should have little time or energy left for interfering in Europe.’
— from The Fruits of Victory A Sequel to The Great Illusion by Norman Angell

There is reason to believe that Addison gave no encouragement to this disingenuous hostility, for, says Pope, in a letter to him, “indeed your opinion, that ’tis entirely to be neglected, would be my own in my own case; but I felt more warmth here than I did when I first saw his book against myself (though, indeed, in two minutes it made me heartily merry).”
— from Lives of the English Poets : Prior, Congreve, Blackmore, Pope by Samuel Johnson

The mantle, wove from such a warp and such a woof, was necessarily very large; and it really appeared to me that the prelate did not very well know what to do with so much of it, more especially as the contributions include a new robe annually.
— from The Monikins by James Fenimore Cooper

ess o rtati ó ne ha mutát o il mi o disségn o , mutáti i miẻi disségni, mutáta la mia o pini ó ne, mutáte le mie o pini ó ni, &c. all which participles haue relation vnto the substantiue, whereas you may as well make them to haue relation vnto the person speaking, as thus, I o
— from Queen Anna's New World of Words; or, Dictionarie of the Italian and English Tongues by John Florio

In her haste to put it on, she turned it wrong side foremost; the laughter of the guests could now no longer be restrained, and in the midst of it Mrs. Thomas left the room.
— from The Garies and Their Friends by Frank J. Webb