Altogether the scene was somewhat peculiar, at least to Captain Delano, nor, as he saw the two thus postured, could he resist the vagary, that in the black he saw a headsman, and in the white a man at the block.
— from The Piazza Tales by Herman Melville
The fantastic splendour of this spectacle, together with the grandeur of the surrounding palaces, appeared like the vision of a poet suddenly embodied, and the fanciful images, which it awakened in Emily's mind, lingered there long after the procession had passed away.
— from The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Ward Radcliffe
The whole barricade gave vent to a cry; but there was something of Antæus in that pygmy; for the gamin to touch the pavement is the same as for the giant to touch the earth; Gavroche had fallen only to rise again; he remained in a sitting posture, a long thread of blood streaked his face, he raised both arms in the air, glanced in the direction whence the shot had come, and began to sing: “Je suis tombé par terre, “I have fallen to the earth, C’est la faute à Voltaire; ‘Tis the fault of Voltaire; Le nez dans le ruisseau, With my nose in the gutter, C’est la faute à . . .
— from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
Those poisons are more fell, More potent to expel Man from his high estate, Which subtly penetrate, And leave the body whole,
— from The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius
They were looking at the table (which was spread out in great array); for these young housekeepers are always nervous on such points, and like to see that everything is right.
— from A Christmas Carol in Prose; Being a Ghost Story of Christmas by Charles Dickens
I shuddered inwardly before the wide sunny place, and let the countryman precede me.
— from Peter Schlemihl by Adelbert von Chamisso
No German has ever influenced so powerfully as Luther the religious life, and, through it, the whole history, of his people; none has ever reflected so faithfully, in his whole personal character and conduct, the peculiar features of that life and history, and been enabled by that very means to render us a service so effectual and so popular.
— from Life of Luther by Julius Köstlin
Wash two fresh calf’s hearts; stuff with a force-meat of crumbs, chopped salt pork, a little thyme, sage and onion. Tie up snugly in clean mosquito-netting; put into a broad saucepan; half cover with broth from your soup from yesterday or to-day.
— from The Dinner Year-Book by Marion Harland
The river abounds in fish, some of them very large: we saw several plunge and leap that appeared to be so large as to weigh 60 or 70 lb.
— from The Journal of a Mission to the Interior of Africa, in the Year 1805 Together with Other Documents, Official and Private, Relating to the Same Mission, to Which Is Prefixed an Account of the Life of Mr. Park by Mungo Park
Some people are like that.
— from Greatheart by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell
The group of but three where four should have been, Brother Paulus on his knees as if in prayer for a passing soul, Mademoiselle's white face blazing with accusation, her arms thrust out in defence or threat, none could say which, my own half-shrinking from the venom of her thought, not only told the truth, but with the truth linked so plausible a lie that I have never blamed them for their thought.
— from The King's Scapegoat by Hamilton Drummond
I yielded to the unsophisticated sentiments which I could not avoid reading in this VOLUME of ruins; and felt, by irresistible association, that every object of our affections—that our affections themselves—and that all things that delight us, must soon pass away like this place and its former inhabitants!
— from A Morning's Walk from London to Kew by Phillips, R. (Richard), Sir
Having been so profound a listener to others, I could not in conscience refuse; but neither my memory nor invention being ready to answer so unexpected a demand, I begged leave to read a manuscript tale from the pen of my fellow-countryman, the late Mr. Diedrich Knickerbocker, the historian of New-York.
— from Bracebridge Hall, or The Humorists by Washington Irving
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