Inclined to peace by his temper and situation, it was easy for him to discover that Rome, in her present exalted situation, had much less to hope than to fear from the chance of arms; and that, in the prosecution of remote wars, the undertaking became every day more difficult, the event more doubtful, and the possession more precarious, and less beneficial.
— 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

The mean distance from the Atlantic to the Mississippi does not probably exceed seven hundred and fifty miles.
— from The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton

It was one of his daily tasks to fetch his water from a well a couple of fields off, and for this purpose, ever since he came to Raveloe, he had had a brown earthenware pot, which he held as his most precious utensil among the very few conveniences he had granted himself.
— from Silas Marner by George Eliot

A Countryman seeing this take place: “Egad,” said he, “he shan’t surpass me;” and immediately gave out that he would do the same thing still better on the following day.
— from The Fables of Phædrus Literally translated into English prose with notes by Phaedrus

Iam hostēs in ponte erant, sed Horātius cum duōbus (cf. § 479 )
— from Latin for Beginners by Benjamin L. (Benjamin Leonard) D'Ooge

The friars, flattered by the comparison and seeing their prestige enhanced, sent him sacks of chocolate, presents which the incorruptible Don Custodio returned, so that Ben-Zayb immediately compared him to Epaminondas.
— from The Reign of Greed by José Rizal

grants the acceptance, Paris propositions to, in the Chateau tumult, appears to mob, will go to Paris, his wisest course, procession to Paris, review of his position, lodged at Tuileries, Restorer of French Liberty, no hunting, locksmith, schemes, visits Assembly, Federation, Hereditary Representative, will fly, and D'Inisdal's plot, Mirabeau, useless, indecision of, ill of catarrh, prepares for St. Cloud, hindered by populace, effect, should he escape, prepares for flight, his circular, flies, letter to Assembly, manner of flight, loiters by the way, detected by Drouet, captured at Varennes, indecision there, return to Paris, reception there, to be deposed?
— from The French Revolution: A History by Thomas Carlyle

Beneath him with new wonder now he views, To all delight of human sense exposed, In narrow room, Nature's whole wealth, yea more, A Heaven on Earth: For blissful Paradise Of God the garden was, by him in the east Of Eden planted; Eden stretched her line From Auran eastward to the royal towers Of great Seleucia, built by Grecian kings, Or where the sons of Eden long before Dwelt in Telassar: In this pleasant soil His far more pleasant garden God ordained; Out of the fertile ground he caused to grow All trees of noblest kind for sight, smell, taste; And all amid them stood the tree of life, High eminent, blooming ambrosial fruit Of vegetable gold; and next to life, Our death, the tree of knowledge, grew fast by, Knowledge of good bought dear by knowing ill.
— from Paradise Lost by John Milton

His little piggy eyes scanned her almost timidly.
— from The Works of John Galsworthy An Index of the Project Gutenberg Works of Galsworthy by John Galsworthy

That is hardly probable, either, since he invariably admires a girl with money—a habit, by the way, which I have also noticed in other young clergymen.”
— from The Teacup Club by Elisa Armstrong Bengough

"Fleet left and friends, Æneas to the court Of Palatine Evander speeds his way, Nay, the far towns of Corythus hath sought, And arms the Lydian swains to meet the fray!
— from The Æneid of Virgil, Translated into English Verse by Virgil

But the firing had alarmed Von Moltke, who, dreading lest the fiery Steinmetz should bring on a general or even partial engagement, sent him positive orders to stop the combat.
— from The Campaign of Sedan: The Downfall of the Second Empire, August-September 1870 by George Hooper

Why, Ben Barriscale is pulling every string he can get his fingers on.
— from The Guardsman by Homer Greene

@Nicaragua:Government Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua conventional short form: Nicaragua local long form: Republica de Nicaragua local short form: Nicaragua Data code: NU Government type: republic National capital: Managua Administrative divisions: 15 departments (departamentos, singular-departamento), 2 autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular-region autonomista); Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas, Atlantico Norte*, Atlantico Sur* Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain) National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821) Constitution: 9 January 1987 Legal system: civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Arnoldo ALEMAN Lacayo (10 January 1997); Vice President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (10 January 1997) head of government: President Arnoldo ALEMAN Lacayo (10 January 1997); Vice President Enrique BOLANOS Geyer (10 January 1997) cabinet: Cabinet elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 20 October 1996 (next to be held NA 2001); note-in July 1995 the term of the office of the president was amended to five years election results: Arnoldo ALEMAN Lacayo (Liberal Alliance) 51.03%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 37.75%, Guillermo OSORNO (PCCN) 4.10%, Noel VIDAURRE (PCN) 2.26%, Benjamin LANZAS (PRONAL) 0.53%, others (18 other candidates) remaining 4.33% Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (93 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 20 October 1996 (next to be held NA 2001) election results: percent of vote by party-Liberal Alliance (ruling party-includes PLC, PALI, PLIUN, and PUCA) 46.03%, FSLN 36.55%, PCCN 3.73%, PCN 2.12%, MRS 1.33%; seats by party-Liberal Alliance 42, FSLN 36, PCCN 4, PCN 3, PRONAL 2, MRS 1, PRN 1, PNC 1, PLI 1, AU 1, UNO-96 Alliance 1 Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), 12 judges elected for a seven-year term by the National Assembly Political parties and leaders: right: Nicaraguan Party of the Christian Road (PCCN), Guillermo OSORNO, Roberto RODRIGUEZ; Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC), Jose RIZO Castellon; Independent Liberal Party for National Unity (PLIUN), Carlos GUERRA Gallardo; National Conservative Party (PCN), Adolfo CALERO, Noel VIDAURRE; Nationalist Liberal Party (PLN), Enrique SANCHEZ Herdocia center right: Neoliberal Party (PALI), Adolfo GARCIA Esquivel; Nicaraguan Resistance Party (PRN), Fabio GADEA; Independent Liberal Party (PLI), Virgilio GODOY; National Project (PRONAL), Antonio LACAYO Oyanguren; Conservative Action Movement (MAC), Hernaldo ZUNIGA center left: Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS), Sergio RAMIREZ; Social Democratic Party (PSD), Adolfo JARQUIN; Social Christian Party (PSC), Erick RAMIREZ; Movement for Revolutionary Unity (MUR), NA; Central American Integrationist Party (PIAC), NA; Unity Alliance (AU), Alejandro SERRANO; Conservative Party of Nicaragua (PCN), Dr. Fernando AGUERO Rocha; National Democratic Party (PND), Alfredo CESAR Aguirre; Central American Unionist Party (PUCA), Blanca ROJAS Echaverry; UNO-96 Alliance, Alfredo CESAR Aguirre; Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (MDN), Alfredo GUZMAN left: Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra Political pressure groups and leaders: National Workers Front (FNT) is a Sandinista umbrella group of eight labor unions: Sandinista Workers' Central (CST); Farm Workers Association (ATC); Health Workers Federation (FETASALUD); National Union of Employees (UNE); National Association of Educators of Nicaragua (ANDEN); Union of Journalists of Nicaragua (UPN); Heroes and Martyrs Confederation of Professional Associations (CONAPRO); and the National Union of Farmers and Ranchers (UNAG); Permanent Congress of Workers (CPT) is an umbrella group of four non-Sandinista labor unions: Confederation of Labor Unification (CUS);
— from The 1998 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency