I liked to learn of her: I saw the part of instructress pleased and suited her; that of scholar pleased and suited me no less.
— from Jane Eyre: An Autobiography by Charlotte Brontë

that is what you wanted,” said she, patting and stroking me with her gentle hand; “and now if you will speak kindly to him and lead him on I believe he will be able to do better.”
— from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

While there I amused myself by reading innumerable follies one finds written in such places, and suddenly my eyes lighted on these words:— “This tenth day of August, 1760, the wretched Raton gave me the what-d’-you-call-it: reader, beware.”
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova

"Sir Philip Ashley," she murmured, in her surprise.
— from A True Friend: A Novel by Adeline Sergeant

The old Marquis refused to see my Sister or her Child; But sent her word that on condition of never hearing any more of her, He would assign her a small pension, and She might live in an old Castle which He possessed in Murcia; This had been the favourite habitation of his eldest Son; But since his flight from Spain, the old Marquis could not bear the place, but let it fall to ruin and confusion—My Sister accepted the proposal; She retired to Murcia, and has remained there till within the last Month.' '
— from The Monk: A Romance by M. G. (Matthew Gregory) Lewis

The consequence was that this little person, who was as pretty as possible, and was one day to wear a crown, grew up so proud and so much in love with her own beauty that she despised everyone else in the world.
— from The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

23. called Senex de Montibus, the better to establish his government amongst his subjects, and to keep them in awe, found a convenient place in a pleasant valley, environed with hills, in [6402] which he made a delicious park full of odoriferous flowers and fruits, and a palace of all worldly contents, that could possibly be devised, music, pictures, variety of meats, &c., and chose out a certain young man, whom with a [6403] soporiferous potion he so benumbed, that he perceived nothing: and so fast asleep as he was, caused him to be conveyed into this fair garden: where after he had lived awhile in all such pleasures a sensual man could desire,
— from The Anatomy of Melancholy by Robert Burton

If Syrian Christianity is corrupt, it is at least not so pitiless as Syrian Mohammedanism.
— from The Holy Land by John Kelman

You can already see the influence in Syria of the accomplished scholars, skilful physicians and surgeons, men versed in the sciences, in botany and geology, who are able to understand the resources of the country, who are supported there, but not liberally enough supported, by the Christians of America.
— from In the Levant Twenty Fifth Impression by Charles Dudley Warner

The poor fellow came in sight presently, and smilingly made the usual arrangement with me, and an hour later he delivered us all sound in wind and limb at the racecourse.
— from An Open-Eyed Conspiracy; An Idyl of Saratoga by William Dean Howells

Barrent was climbing a slippery pole, a sheer mountainside, a smooth-sided well.
— from The Status Civilization by Robert Sheckley

It is through intelligence that we come to a comprehension of the distinction between good and evil, and through intelligence that we are able to increase social prosperity, and so morality.
— from A Review of the Systems of Ethics Founded on the Theory of Evolution by Cora May Williams

Timothy Thomas, who was a distinguished scholar and M.A. of Sidney-Sussex College, Cambridge, was headmaster of the Sandwich Free School and brother to the rector of St. Paul and St. Mary, Sandwich.
— from The Year after the Armada, and Other Historical Studies by Martin A. S. (Martin Andrew Sharp) Hume

The Gazette was so partial and so meagre a chronicle of events that, though it had no competitors, it had but a small circulation.
— from The History of England, from the Accession of James II — Volume 4 by Macaulay, Thomas Babington Macaulay, Baron

For a little while that old hag, Nya, may protect her with her wisdom, but when she passes, as she must, and quickly, for I will light fires beneath this fallen tree of hers, then I tell thee the Beautiful One shall choose between my rule and doom.”
— from The Ghost Kings by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard

Burns had taken Schwartz's place as second mate, but the situation was clearly beyond him.
— from The After House by Mary Roberts Rinehart

So painful a scandal may well be allowed to die out.
— from The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle