This fascinating superstition is preserved in numberless Welsh legends relating to hidden treasures, buried under cromlechs or rocky mounds, or in caverns.
— from British Goblins: Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions by Wirt Sikes

But as the faith, which is not founded on revelation, must remain destitute of any firm assurance, the disciple of Plato imprudently relapsed into the habits of vulgar superstition; and the popular and philosophic notion of the Deity seems to have been confounded in the practice, the writings, and even in the mind of Julian.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Table of Contents with links in the HTML file to the two Project Gutenberg editions (12 volumes) by Edward Gibbon

I can only repeat my assurance, that I do not speak without good evidence.
— from On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection Or, the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life by Charles Darwin

Florence had no special command of raw material for her manufactures, no sea-port of her own, and no monopoly unless in the natural genius of her people.
— from The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri: The Inferno by Dante Alighieri

And, besides, by this time the acknowledgment had been extorted from all that the supremacy of Rome must be accepted, and her commands obeyed.
— from The Histories of Polybius, Vol. 1 (of 2) by Polybius

Every spring, for perhaps a century, or as long as there has been a nation of red men, an island in the middle of White-bear Lake has been visited by a band of Indians for the purpose of making maple sugar.
— from Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain

[2834] A declaration of egregious popish impostures, to withdraw the hearts of religious men under the pretence of casting out of devils, practised by Father Edmunds, alias Weston, a Jesuit, and divers Romish priests, his wicked associates, with the several parties' names, confessions, examinations, &c. which were pretended to be possessed.
— from The Anatomy of Melancholy by Robert Burton

and oh! remember me Hereafter, when some stranger from the sea, A hapless wanderer, may your isle explore, And ask you, maid, of all the bards you boast, Who sings the sweetest, and delights you most Oh! answer all,—'A blind old man and poor Sweetest he sings—and dwells on Chios' rocky shore.'
— from The Iliad by Homer

Hast thou, as erst I did command, Conducted me within the walls of Rome? MEPHIST.
— from The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus From the Quarto of 1604 by Christopher Marlowe

Shortly before the fall of Rome, Marcellinus had been sent to Africa by the Emperor Honorius to arrange a settlement of the differences between the Donatists and the Catholics.
— from The City of God, Volume I by Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo

“She will sleep upon a cot in the room next to ours,” responded Ma'ame Pelagie, “and live as we do.
— from The Awakening, and Selected Short Stories by Kate Chopin

The majesty of royalty moved and inspired her, who had ever been incapable of submission, with humility, and the brilliant life at court suggested to her all the enchantment of a pleasant dream.
— from The Fourth Estate, vol. 2 by Armando Palacio Valdés

“If you desire to fish, I doubt not our reverend mother will make you welc
— from The Hour and the Man, An Historical Romance by Harriet Martineau

Having many times witnessed this act of prudence and cleanliness in the little sunny, and observed that at this period it will not seize on any kind of bait, I took it into my head one fair afternoon to make a few experiments for the purpose of judging how far its instinct or reason might induce it to act when disturbed or harassed.
— from Audubon and His Journals, Volume 2 (of 2) by John James Audubon

Sprinkle a few peas around the tomatoes and put a spoonful of Red Mayonnaise on top.
— from Florida Salads by Frances Barber Harris

Sergeants in manner emphatic and teutonesque impart the mysteries of that solemn, high-stepping march which takes the place of route marching in an army that has to train its men to reach perfection in two years’ time.
— from The Walls of Constantinople by B. Granville (Bernard Granville) Baker

“Show me a good reason,and I shall not object,” remarked Mrs. Mortimer, knowing that the man, in spite of his conciliatory observations, had the power to enforce, if he chose, what he seemed to ask as a favour.
— from The Mysteries of London, v. 4/4 by George W. M. (George William MacArthur) Reynolds

“One of the great fishes or reptiles made a dash at me and struck me on the leg,” gasped Nic.
— from Nic Revel: A White Slave's Adventures in Alligator Land by George Manville Fenn

I wondered what thoughts were perplexing him as he stood off, regarding me in his odd little quizzical fashion, and was astounded when he said: “Lentala says that Annabel is beautiful and lovely.”
— from Lentala of the South Seas: The Romantic Tale of a Lost Colony by W. C. Morrow

“As a tree, too, is known by its fruit, surely, judging by its produce, the Church of Rome must be of a very bitter nature, and not such as a man like you would desire to support.”
— from The Golden Grasshopper: A story of the days of Sir Thomas Gresham by William Henry Giles Kingston