And do you further observe, that after a man is dead, the body, or visible part of him, which is lying in the visible world, and is called a corpse, and would naturally be dissolved and decomposed and dissipated, is not dissolved or decomposed at once, but may remain for a for some time, nay even for a long time, if the constitution be sound at the time of death, and the season of the year favourable?
— from Phaedo by Plato

In 18th century Europe, the effort became so broad and sweeping that an attempt was made at universal expression and the philosophy of the movement said that if All ruled they would rule for All and thus Universal Good was sought through Universal Suffrage.
— from Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil by W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt) Du Bois

Dagalaiphus, and Secundinus duke of Osrhoene, conducted the troops of the rear-guard; the baggage securely proceeded in the intervals of the columns; and the ranks, from a motive either of use or ostentation, were formed in such open order, that the whole line of march extended almost ten miles.
— 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

Call then thy subject streams, and bid them roar, From all thy fountains swell thy watery store, With broken rocks, and with a load of dead, Charge the black surge, and pour it on his head.
— from The Iliad by Homer

The mere idea of the object for which arms have been taken up is seldom sufficient to overcome this resistant force, and if a warlike enterprising spirit is not at the head, who feels himself in War in his natural element, as much as a fish in the ocean, or if there is not the pressure from above of some great responsibility, then standing still will be the order of the day, and progress will be the exception.
— from On War — Volume 1 by Carl von Clausewitz

Let the learned of the first rank find an honourable refuge in their courts; let them there enjoy the only recompense worthy of them, that of promoting by their influence the happiness of the peoples they have enlightened by their wisdom.
— from The Social Contract & Discourses by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

He therefore granted the inhabitants of Nysa the privilege of remaining free and independent; and when he inquired about their laws, he commended them because the government was in the hands of the aristocracy.
— from The Anabasis of Alexander or, The History of the Wars and Conquests of Alexander the Great by Arrian

Next day Ariadne presented me to the Russian family as: "The son of a distinguished professor whose estate is next to ours.
— from Project Gutenberg Compilation of 233 Short Stories of Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

The date 1542, standing by itself, means little or nothing to us; but when one groups a few neighboring historical dates and facts around it, he adds perspective and color, and then realizes that this is one of the American dates which is quite respectable for age.
— from Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain

I have known Rodion for a year and a half; he is morose, gloomy, proud and haughty, and of late—and perhaps for a long time before—he has been suspicious and fanciful.
— from Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The Russians formed an inner horse-shoe in a similar position.
— from The North Pacific: A Story of the Russo-Japanese War by Willis Boyd Allen

144 Bouillon , Godfrey de, first King of Jerusalem, mentioned, i. 250 Bouillon , the Duc de, warns the King of the Guises’ preparations, ii. 241 , and note Bourbon , Charles, Cardinal de, claims to be successor to the throne, ii. 228 ; reported to intend to give up his orders and to marry the Duchesse de Montpensier, ib. ; joins the Guises, 239 ; nominally their chief leader, 241 ; claims the succession to the throne, 242 ; changes his cardinal’s robes for a soldier’s dress, 243 ; with the Duke of Guise, 246 ; a prisoner, 253 , and note ; Parliament issues decrees in his name as Charles X., 256 ; the Legate summons the people of Langres to acknowledge him as their king, 257 Bourbon , House of, its position, ii. 40 ; will be heirs presumptive to the crown on Alençon’s death, 218 Bourges , demanded by Alençon, ii. 120 ; likely to surrender to Navarre, 255 Brabant , people of, pronounce sevene differently from the Flemings, i. 358 ; arrival of ambassadors from them, ii. 214 ; all except Antwerp and Bergen likely to submit, 217 Breda , peace negotiations opened there, ii.
— from The Life and Letters of Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, Volumes 1 and 2 by Ogier Ghislain de Busbecq

Her promise to Miss Priscilla that Desmond shall not sleep beneath her roof during Monica's stay is forgotten or laid aside, and finally, with a smile of satisfaction, she sees the two young men carried off by Ronayne for a final smoke before turning in.
— from Rossmoyne by Duchess

Then, step by step, the friendship had grown till it had revealed its radiant face at the bitterness of Chris's words in the house at Westminster.
— from The King's Achievement by Robert Hugh Benson

Unless given remarkably fine and calm weather, the sand-dunes of Thorbury, fringed by extensive shoals carrying less than a fathom of water, were inaccessible.
— from Winning His Wings: A Story of the R.A.F. by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman

As the course of instruction which the boys had received in Ajaccio was not sufficient for the times, and for the capacities of his sons, their father passed over to France with Joseph and Napoleon, to take advantage of the favorable resources for a more complete education.
— from Empress Josephine: An Historical Sketch of the Days of Napoleon by L. (Luise) Mühlbach

The child who was born to free half the human race from aeons of slavery must be kept from all contagion of man's gold and man's bribery.
— from The Woman Who Did by Grant Allen

THE FIRST RELIEF FUND As a consequence of the depressed state of trade very large numbers of men were thrown out of work, and the rules of the Association made no provision for them.
— from A History of the Durham Miner's Association 1870-1904 by John Wilson

In return for their services, the Āndis receive four annas a head from the Konga Vellāla community annually, and the income from this source alone amounts to Rs. 6,400.
— from Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 5 of 7 by Edgar Thurston