Un jour il reçoit une lettre où, avec les compliments les plus flatteurs sur son talent, on le priait d'envoyer sa recette.
— from French Conversation and Composition by Harry Vincent Wann

" In coming to a fixed determination to run away, we did more than Patrick Henry, when he resolved upon liberty or death.
— from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass

Seuthes answered:—he had but one fault to find with him, that he was too much the soldiers' friend, which also was the cause why things went wrong with him, whether as regards us Lacedaemonians or himself, Seuthes.
— from Anabasis by Xenophon

"It well becomes the Persians," replied Galerius, with a transport of fury, which seemed to convulse his whole frame, "it well becomes the Persians to expatiate on the vicissitudes of fortune, and calmly to read us lectures on the virtues of moderation.
— 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

count upon, depend upon, calculate upon, pin one's faith upon, reckon upon, lean upon, build upon, rely upon, rest upon; lay one's account for; make sure of.
— from Roget's Thesaurus by Peter Mark Roget

In viewing the world one sees many things from many sides, consequently this is not such a short or quick way of learning as that which makes use of abstract ideas, and quickly comes to a decision about everything; therefore preconceived ideas will not be rectified until late, or it may be they are never rectified.
— from Essays of Schopenhauer by Arthur Schopenhauer

“Oh, that’s pretty close for the backwoods!” said Ernest Wilton lightly, as he quickened his steps to join Seth Allport, who had hailed out to the two stragglers to “hurry up,” for the “lazy lubbers” that they were; the ex-mate of the Susan Jane having awaited with some considerable impatience, for a rather unconscionable length of time, the end of the interview between the two Englishmen, although he was too good-hearted, and had too much good taste, to interrupt them before he saw that their chat was finished.
— from Picked up at Sea The Gold Miners of Minturne Creek by John C. (John Conroy) Hutcheson

A vast broken flower-belt encircles the [Pg 123] peak between the ragged lower edge of the large ice-fields and the ragged upper limits of tree growth.
— from Your National Parks, with Detailed Information for Tourists by Enos A. Mills

Swell ½ lb. in broth or water; put a thick layer at the bottom of a deep dish, buttered all round, then a layer of beef steak cut thin, or thin slices spread with forcemeat, and rolled up like olives; season the beef, then another layer of maccaroni, then more beef, the top layer maccaroni; pour over gravy or water to fill the dish, and cover with a thin {234} crust, and bake it.
— from The English Housekeeper: Or, Manual of Domestic Management Containing advice on the conduct of household affairs and practical instructions concerning the store-room, the pantry, the larder, the kitchen, the cellar, the dairy; the whole being intended for the use of young ladies who undertake the superintendence of their own housekeeping by Anne Cobbett

See H. J. Raymond: Life of Lincoln, p. 772] which phrase I do not remember using literally or in substance, and which I wish not to be published in any event.
— from The Papers and Writings of Abraham Lincoln, Complete by Abraham Lincoln

America is still a young country, and this part of it is especially so; and it would have been nothing extraordinary if, in this young country, material preoccupations had altogether absorbed people's minds, and they had been too much engrossed in living to reflect upon life, or to have any philosophy.
— from Winds Of Doctrine: Studies in Contemporary Opinion by George Santayana

Suddenly one of the men rose up, leaning on his arm, and looked at him with a stupid stare; but David stood still, waiting, with his heart fit to break within his breast, till the man lay down again.
— from The Isles of Sunset by Arthur Christopher Benson

Now, I have had my idees riz up lots of times—they have riz and fell so much that my muse has fairly lamed herself time and agin, and went round limpin' for some time.
— from Samantha at the World's Fair by Marietta Holley

The Greeks having abandoned the church for schism, and the Saxons having revolted against her by heresy in the XVIth century, the predominance which the Latin race, united later on to the Celtic race, assumed in her bosom, became more and more marked.
— from The Catholic World, Vol. 22, October, 1875, to March, 1876 A Monthly Magazine of General Literature and Science by Various

The poor fellows are worn out with the pump and rowing, upon little or nothing to eat.
— from The Seaboard Parish Volume 1 by George MacDonald