Often I forget ordinary words, and I always have to waste a great deal of energy in avoiding superfluous phrases and unnecessary parentheses in my letters, both unmistakable proofs of a decline in mental activity.
— from Project Gutenberg Compilation of 233 Short Stories of Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

While these young Fellows resign their Stomachs with their Hearts, and drink at the Idol in this manner, we who come to do Business, or talk Politicks, are utterly poisoned: They have also Drams for those who are more enamoured than ordinary; and it is very common for such as are too low in Constitution to ogle the Idol upon the Strength of Tea, to fluster themselves with warmer Liquors:
— from The Spectator, Volume 1 Eighteenth-Century Periodical Essays by Steele, Richard, Sir

There is a difference also in universal propositions; a universal proposition may relate partly to a man’s self and partly to the thing in question: take the following for instance; “dry food is good for every man,” this may have the two minor premisses, “this is a man,” and “so and so is dry food;” but whether a given substance is so
— from The Ethics of Aristotle by Aristotle

My uncle says he is a man of uncommon parts, and unquestioned probity: that his fortune, which was originally small, has been greatly hurt by a romantic spirit of generosity, which he has often displayed, even at the expence of his discretion, in favour of worthless individuals—That he had rescued Paunceford from the lowest distress, when he was bankrupt, both in means and reputation—That he had espoused his interests with a degree of enthusiasm, broke with several friends, and even drawn his sword against my uncle, who had particular reasons for questioning the moral character of the said Paunceford: that, without Serle’s countenance and assistance, the other never could have embraced the opportunity, which has raised him to this pinnacle of wealth: that Paunceford, in the first transports of his success, had written, from abroad, letters to different correspondents, owning his obligations to Mr Serle, in the warmest terms of acknowledgement, and declared he considered himself only as a factor for the occasions of his best friend: that, without doubt, he had made declarations of the same nature to his benefactor himself, though this last was always silent and reserved on the subject; but for some years, those tropes and figures of rhetoric had been disused; that, upon his return to England, he had been lavish in his caresses to Mr Serle, invited him to his house, and pressed him to make it his own: that he had overwhelmed him with general professions, and affected to express the warmest regard for him, in company of their common acquaintance; so that every body believed his gratitude was liberal as his fortune; and some went so far as to congratulate Mr Serle on both.
— from The Expedition of Humphry Clinker by T. (Tobias) Smollett

( § 501.15 ) prae-mittô, -ere, -mîsî, -missus [ prae , forward , + mittô , send ], send forward praemium, praemî , n. reward, prize praeruptus, -a, -um [part.
— from Latin for Beginners by Benjamin L. (Benjamin Leonard) D'Ooge

The third person, and the longer forms of the second person, are used particularly in laws, legal documents, and treaties, and also in impressive general rules and maxims: as, ( a. ) rēgiō imperiō duō suntō , Leg.
— from A Latin Grammar for Schools and Colleges by George Martin Lane

To the Greek and Roman it was similarly divided into Ἕλληνες and βάρβαροι, again the privileged and unprivileged portion of the human race, civilization and culture being now the criterion of distinction.
— from St. Paul's Epistles to the Colossians and Philemon A revised text with introductions, notes and dissertations by J. B. (Joseph Barber) Lightfoot

Pencroft prudently lowered the foresail, not wishing to be caught by a sudden gust while carrying too much canvas; it was perhaps an unnecessary precaution on such a calm night, but Pencroft was a prudent sailor and cannot be blamed for it.
— from The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne

They then said that their monarch could not help feeling astonished that we had made such a long stay among a poor and uncivilized people, who were even not fit for slaves, but at the same time so viciously disposed, so treacherous and thievish, that some day or night when we least expected it they would murder us merely for the sake of plunder.
— 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

After which they scourged themselves, chanting psalms and uttering prayers for deliverance from the plague.
— from Curiosities of Superstition, and Sketches of Some Unrevealed Religions by W. H. Davenport (William Henry Davenport) Adams

119 In one of these manuscripts, dated about 1177, is the following bill of fare prescribed by Harold for the Canons’ Households, in 1059:— “Erant autem tales pitantiæ unicuique canonico: a festo Sancti Michaelis usque ad caput jejunii, aut xii. merulæ, aut ii. agauseæ, aut ii. perdices, aut unus phasianus , reliquis temporibus aut ancæ, aut gallinæ.”
— from The Ornithology of Shakespeare Critically examined, explained and illustrated by James Edmund Harting

hunc esse ferebat incola, qui Siculum porrectus ad usque Pelorum finibus ab Ligurum populos complectitur omnes Italiae geminumque latus stringentia longe utraque perpetuo discriminat aequora tractu.
— from Claudian, volume 2 (of 2) With an English translation by Maurice Platnauer by Claudius Claudianus

The paper was made by removing the outer covering of the stalk, cutting the interior lengthwise into thin pieces and laying these together side by side on a flat board and across them another layer, cementing the strips together with a kind of glue, then putting all under pressure, and after drying the paper was completed and ready for use.
— from The Historical Child Paidology; The Science of the Child by Oscar Chrisman

No kindness could have exceeded the kindness that she hourly received from uncle and aunt and from the inmates of the cottage over the way; still every night, or rather early every morning, she fell asleep with tears upon her cheeks; she longed for her father, her mother, for Dine and Gus, for Miss Jewett, for Nan Gerard, and even poor, grief-stricken Sue; for Mrs. Towne’s dear face and dear hands she longed inexpressibly, and she longed with a longing to which she would give no sympathy for another presence, an unobtrusive presence that would not push its way, a presence with the aroma of humility, gentleness, and a shy love that persisted with a persistence that neither the darkness of night nor the light of day could dispel.
— from Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline: A Story of the Development of a Young Girl's Life by Conklin, Nathaniel, Mrs.

The sprawling, spindling, white-colored, long-jointed, plants, of which some persons are unwisely proud, are, often the result of too little light and too much water.
— from Pleasant Talk About Fruits, Flowers and Farming by Henry Ward Beecher

For one thing, it allows more liberty of action;—for another, it prevents any undue personal pride.
— from Highways and Byways in London by Emily Constance Baird Cook

You never feel that he is writing for effect, still less to perform an uncongenial piece of task-work.
— from The Life of John Bunyan by Edmund Venables