Now this is not of much consequence where the corruption of society, and pretension to be what you are not, is confined to cobblers; but when the guardians of the laws and of the government are only seeming and not real guardians, then see how they turn the State upside down; and on the other hand they alone have the power of giving order and happiness to the State.
— from The Republic of Plato by Plato

The modifications in the relative tone values of objects seen under different aspects of light and atmosphere are infinite and ever varying; and this is quite a special study in itself.
— from The Practice and Science of Drawing by Harold Speed

These were proud times for Mrs. Nickleby; never was anybody half so discreet and sage as she, or half so mysterious withal; and never were there such cunning generalship, and such unfathomable designs, as she brought to bear upon Mr. Frank, with the view of ascertaining whether her suspicions were well founded: and if so, of tantalising him into taking her into his confidence and throwing himself upon her merciful consideration.
— from Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens

But if the deaf-mute parents are cousins, the chances that the deafness is due to the same unit defect are increased and all of the children will probably be deaf.
— from Introduction to the Science of Sociology by E. W. (Ernest Watson) Burgess

Lo! this day has my godmother sickened unto death, and my stokh become as a withered palm-leaf.
— from The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales With Condensed Novels, Spanish and American Legends, and Earlier Papers by Bret Harte

It was time to sleep, and one can usually sleep so splendidly before rain; but the old man had a hankering after serious, weighty thoughts; he wanted not simply to think but to meditate, and he meditated how good it would be, as death was near at hand, for the sake of his soul to give up the idleness which so imperceptibly swallowed up day after day, year after year, leaving no trace; to think out for himself some great exploit—for instance, to walk on foot far, far away, or to give up meat like this young man.
— from Project Gutenberg Compilation of 233 Short Stories of Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

I believed that the tramp would dog my steps until dark, and that in the meantime he would not allow me out of his sight.
— from Chatterbox, 1905. by Various

Several other persons of lesser note were hanged daring the week-among others, Matthew Doucet, the truculent man of gingerbread, whose rage had been so judiciously but so unsuccessfully directed against the Prior of Saint Vaast.
— from The Rise of the Dutch Republic — Complete (1574-84) by John Lothrop Motley

The boy scout, with an anticipatory glow all over him, felt impervious to any extreme of temperature as he bounded down the uplands, with the breeze—the freshening, freakish breeze—driving across the salt-marshes directly in his face, racing through every vein in him, stirring up a whirligig within, presently bringing waste things to the top even as it stirred up dust and refuse in the roadway.
— from A Scout of To-day by Isabel Hornibrook

The old monkey was in a tree almost directly above his head, stretched out on one of the limbs in the most contented manner possible, and as Toby watched him, and thought of all the trouble he had caused by wasting the food, thoughts of starvation again came into his mind, and he believed that he should never live to see Uncle Daniel again.
— from Harper's Young People, April 19, 1881 An Illustrated Weekly by Various

If one canoe contrived to get past me into the inner part of the cove, then might the savages in it shoot us down at their ease.
— from The Admirable Lady Biddy Fane Her Surprising Curious Adventures In Strange Parts & Happy Deliverance From Pirates, Battle, Captivity, & Other Terrors; Together With Divers Romantic & Moving Accidents As Set Forth By Benet Pengilly (Her Companion In Misfortune & Joy), & Now First Done Into Print by Frank Barrett

In Chapter I. of the Third Part, under the title "Provisions," it will be seen that the vessel must have on board, well secured under deck, at least sixty gallons of water, one hundred pounds of salted beef, one hundred pounds of wholesome ship bread, and one gallon of vinegar for each passenger, on a voyage across the Atlantic, and in like proportion for shorter or longer voyages.
— from The Seaman's Friend Containing a treatise on practical seamanship, with plates, a dictionary of sea terms, customs and usages of the merchant service by Richard Henry Dana

“Here we are at last,” said Uncle Dick, as we reached the corner of our place, where a lamp shed a ghastly kind of glow upon the dark triangular shaped dam.
— from Patience Wins: War in the Works by George Manville Fenn

Finally, he resumed the ducal mantle, and the functions which he had so unfortunately devolved; and, dismissing the whole administration which his son had employed, he entered upon the government, with the assistance of a small but select cabinet.
— from Memoirs of the Dukes of Urbino, Volume 3 (of 3) Illustrating the Arms, Arts, and Literature of Italy, from 1440 To 1630 by James Dennistoun

All which proceeds from ignorance, as they are very easy to be persuaded, and imitated us with earnestness and fervour in all which they saw us do as Christians in our acts of worship.
— from The Voyage of Verrazzano A Chapter in the Early History of Maritime Discovery in America by Henry Cruse Murphy