It was impossible to have imagined, during the usual calm routine of life men had before experienced, the terrible effects produced by these extravagant delusions: in truth, of such little worth are our senses, when unsupported by concurring testimony, that it was with the utmost difficulty I kept myself free from the belief in supernatural events, to which the major part of our people readily gave credit.
— from The Last Man by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

vampire, ghoul; afreet[obs3], barghest[obs3], Loki; ogre, ogress; gnome, gin, jinn, imp, deev[obs3], lamia[obs3]; bogie, bogeyman, bogle[obs3]; nis[obs3], kobold[obs3], flibbertigibbet, fairy, brownie, pixy, elf, dwarf, urchin; Puck, Robin Goodfellow; leprechaun, Cluricaune[obs3], troll, dwerger[obs3], sprite, ouphe[obs3], bad fairy, nix, nixie, pigwidgeon[obs3], will-o'-the wisp.
— from Roget's Thesaurus by Peter Mark Roget

They came in the form of prayer rugs generally, and a pronounced feature of those more commonly seen is a multiplicity of small dotted borders.
— from The Oriental Rug A Monograph on Eastern Rugs and Carpets, Saddle-Bags, Mats & Pillows, with a Consideration of Kinds and Classes, Types, Borders, Figures, Dyes, Symbols, etc. Together with Some Practical Advice to Collectors. by William De Lancey Ellwanger

At length he said, “This argument made me forget the principal reason, George, why I am glad that we are alone together to-day.
— from Sybil, Or, The Two Nations by Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield

Such are not merely the natural tendencies, but the inherent necessities of despotic government; from which there is no outlet, unless in so far as the despotism consents not to be despotism; in so far as the supposed good despot abstains from exercising his power, and, though holding it in reserve, allows the general business of government to go on as if the people really governed themselves.
— from Considerations on Representative Government by John Stuart Mill

meter t put; engage, occupy (a person); r get,
— from Doña Perfecta by Benito Pérez Galdós

Yelled on the view the opening pack; Rock, glen, and cavern paid them back;
— from The Lady of the Lake by Walter Scott

He would have preferred Rabelais’ ‘Gargantua’ to the ‘Zadig’ of Voltaire: and, upon the whole, practical jokes suited his taste far better than verbal ones.
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition Table Of Contents And Index Of The Five Volumes by Edgar Allan Poe

Some spumy, fiery, ignis fatuus matter, Such as the slightest breath of air might scatter; With arch-alacrity and conscious glee, (Nature may have her whim as well as we, Her Hogarth-art perhaps she meant to show it), She forms the thing and christens it—a Poet: Creature, tho' oft the prey of care and sorrow, When blest to-day, unmindful of to-morrow; A being form'd t' amuse his graver friends, Admir'd and prais'd—and there the homage ends; A mortal quite unfit for Fortune's strife, Yet oft the sport of all the ills of life; Prone to enjoy each pleasure riches give, Yet haply wanting wherewithal to live; Longing to wipe each tear, to heal each groan, Yet frequent all unheeded in his own.
— from Poems and Songs of Robert Burns by Robert Burns

There was no loss of time in coming to the discussion of the subject of the meeting, and without any preliminary remarks Gully was asked if he had prepared any bid on the work that he wished to submit, and in case his offer was accepted, what would be the nature of the agreement he would be willing to sign.
— from The Land of Lure: A Story of the Columbia River Basin by Elliott Smith

The carving of Sorab is considered superior to that of Bombay or Canton, and, being a very tedious process requiring great care, is [ 305 ] expensive.
— from Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 2 of 7 by Edgar Thurston

42 40 N 21 10 E Prishtine (capital) Prussia (region) Germany, Poland, 53 00 N 14 00 E Russia
— from The 2009 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

The statement written on many food packages, reading "Guaranteed Under The Food and Drugs Act, June 30, 1906.
— from 1000 Things Worth Knowing by Nathaniel C. (Nathaniel Clark) Fowler

Without providing replacement guns or reserves, this was a sufficient number to equip over 100 divisions with 768 guns to the division.
— from America's Munitions 1917-1918 by Benedict Crowell

But the multiplication of the wants of a people rapidly growing in numbers and refinement will, with the comparatively high price of labor, scarcity of capital and distance of most of our ports from the markets supplied by European manufactures, for a long time to come make the home-supply the chief care of our artisans.
— from Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Volume 17, No. 098, February, 1876 by Various

Killed two geese, one pheasant [ruffed grouse, Bonasa umbellus ], and a wolf.
— from The Expeditions of Zebulon Montgomery Pike, Volume 1 (of 3) To Headwaters of the Mississippi River Through Louisiana Territory, and in New Spain, During the Years 1805-6-7. by Zebulon Montgomery Pike

In 1880 I met General and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, at a private reception given at the home of Hon.
— from Old Times in Dixie Land: A Southern Matron's Memories by Caroline E. (Caroline Elizabeth) Merrick

"Massa Lewis had four or five families of us slaves, but we used to have some fun after work and us young folks would skip rope and play ring games.
— from Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Texas Narratives, Part 1 by United States. Work Projects Administration