In more than one province, the people died like flies, especially the women and children, as a result of conditions incident to and consequent upon the war.
— from The American Occupation of the Philippines 1898-1912 by James H. (James Henderson) Blount

Retire we instant to our native reign, Nor be the wealth of kings consumed in vain; Then wed whom choice approves: the queen be given To some blest prince, the prince decreed by Heaven."
— from The Odyssey by Homer

The recollection of the different periods of my life led me to reflect upon that at which I was arrived, and I found I was already on the decline, a prey to painful disorders, and imagined I was approaching the end of my days without having, tasted, in all its plentitude, scarcely any one of the pleasures after which my heart had so much thirsted, or having given scope to the lively sentiments I felt it had in reserve.
— from The Confessions of Jean Jacques Rousseau — Complete by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

However, as if it were to give me the proof that perfection does not exist, and that there is a bad side as well as a good one to everything, a certain adventure happened to me a month afterwards which, although I was following his own maxims, cost me the loss of his friendship, and which certainly did not teach me anything.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova

There, alone in the world, overcome by disappointment at the destruction of all his vain hopes, a prey to profound disgust for all human beings, filled with hatred of the civilized world, he realized the wreck of his fortune, assembled some score of his most faithful companions, and one day disappeared, leaving no trace behind.
— from The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne

The rule that you cannot go into title in a possessory action presupposes great difficulty in the proof, the probatio diabolica of the Canon law, delays in the process, and importance of possession
— from The Common Law by Oliver Wendell Holmes

Persons truly pious do not thus mistake, they are disengaged from all sensual pleasures, and raise their desires to heaven.
— from Letters of Abelard and Heloise To which is prefix'd a particular account of their lives, amours, and misfortunes by Héloïse

"O father, the pig, the pig, do come and taste how nice the burnt pig eats."
— from The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 2 Elia and The Last Essays of Elia by Charles Lamb

A spiritual and temporal kingdom was possessed by the Roman pontiff; the Protestant doctors were subjects of an humble rank, without revenue or jurisdiction.
— 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

Though I do not attempt to present in this book an account of the agricultural and mineral resources of South Africa, some words must be said regarding its economic prospects—that is to say, regarding the natural sources of wealth which it possesses, their probable development, and the extent to which that development will increase the still scanty population.
— from Impressions of South Africa by Bryce, James Bryce, Viscount

Heading an expedition originally planned to pursue discovery in the Pacific, through the Strait of Magellan (discovered and passed by that brilliant Portuguese, Fernao de Magalhães, in 1520, who the next year discovered the Philippines), he had explored the River Plate, naming it Rio de la Plata, the Silver River, because of the splendour of the silver ornaments worn by the Indians of the region, and had anchored off the site of the present city of Buenos Ayres; had built a fort at one of the mouths of the Parana and begun a settlement there; had further ascended the Parana; penetrated the Paraguay; and thence entered the Vermejo, where he and his party had a fierce fight with the savages.
— from The Boy's Hakluyt: English Voyages of Adventure and Discovery by Edwin M. (Edwin Monroe) Bacon

You'll be petted to pieces, Debby says, because you are the only girl in the family."
— from Eight Cousins; Or, The Aunt-Hill by Louisa May Alcott

Not immediately, however, could this plan be put in execution; the society she meant to form could not be selected in the house of another, where, though to some she might shew a preference, there were none she could reject: nor had she yet the power to indulge, according to the munificence of her wishes, the extensive generosity she projected: these purposes demanded a house of her own, and the unlimited disposal of her fortune, neither of which she could claim till she became of age.
— from Cecilia; Or, Memoirs of an Heiress — Volume 1 by Fanny Burney

Some of the men occupied a church, and about sixty were confined in jail, probably to prevent desertion.
— from History of the Colony and Ancient Dominion of Virginia by Charles Campbell

If we were to omit all reference to certain favorite prescriptions that passed down from generation to generation, sometimes for centuries, yet eventually proved to be quite inefficient for the purpose for which they were employed, what a large lacuna would be left in the history of medical treatment!
— from Psychotherapy Including the History of the Use of Mental Influence, Directly and Indirectly, in Healing and the Principles for the Application of Energies Derived from the Mind to the Treatment of Disease by James J. (James Joseph) Walsh

election results: percent of vote by party - Labor Party 32.7%, Progress Party 22.1%, Conservative Party 14.1%, Socialist Left Party 8.8%, Christian People's Party 6.8%, Center Party 6.5%, Liberal Party 5.9%, Red Electoral Alliance 1.2%, other 1.9%; seats by party - Labor Party 61, Progress Party 38, Conservative Party 23, Socialist Left Party 15, Christian People's Party 11, Center Party 11, Liberal Party 10 note: for certain purposes, the parliament divides itself into two chambers and elects one-fourth of its membership in the Lagting and three-forths of its membership in the Odelsting Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Hoyesterett (justices appointed by the monarch) Political parties and leaders: Center Party
— from The 2007 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

[From the Guardian:] Dear and valued co-workers: The remarkable progress achieved by the Bahá’í communities in Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania in promoting the Plan, designed to further the interests of the Faith in the Antipodes, is most encouraging, and will, when consummated, mark the opening of a new and glorious chapter in the history of the Faith in that continent.
— from Letters from the Guardian to Australia and New Zealand by Effendi Shoghi

Onopordon Acanthium Panicum bulbosum “ capillare “ virgatum Papaver bracteatum Phormium tenax Phytolacca decandra Polymnia grandis Rhaponticum cynaroides “ pulchrum Rheum, in var.
— from The Subtropical Garden; or, beauty of form in the flower garden. by W. (William) Robinson