Eight Source-Linked Excerpts From Six Authors
Browse eight short excerpts with linked texts, edition notes, locators and context. The collection covers Benjamin Franklin, Oscar Wilde, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Jane Austen and Henry David Thoreau. It selects existing text; it does not generate original quotes, call an AI model or search a live quote service. It works for a reading or journal prompt, for comparing literary dialogue with philosophical reflection, or for starting research on an epigraph; use the linked edition and locator to prepare the citation your project needs, because the source note is a starting point rather than a completed citation in a particular academic style.
Choose an editorial category, or All for the full collection. Read the excerpt, work, speaker when relevant, edition and context, and follow the source link to inspect the surrounding passage. Use Next quote to compare another entry when the category has more than one. Copy with source or select the output manually; save an entry during this visit, then reopen, copy or remove it from the saved list.
How Next and Save Behave
Next selects randomly from the active category after excluding the current entry. A later selection may repeat; there is no daily schedule or complete no-repeat sequence. Categories with one entry disable Next and explain why. Changing categories selects their first entry. Opening a saved quote switches to All so the displayed quote belongs to the active pool.
Save compares stable entry IDs, retains newest-first order and does not duplicate an existing saved quote. The in-memory list has a capacity of twelve, though this collection has only eight entries. Copy includes text, author, fictional speaker where applicable, work, edition, locator, excerpt note and source URL. It does not include a publication license.
Three Entries and What to Check in Each
| Entry | Source location | Review point |
|---|---|---|
| Wilde: temptation | Lady Windermere’s Fan, Act I | Lord Darlington is the fictional speaker |
| Epictetus: views | The Enchiridion, section V | English text is Higginson’s translation |
| Thoreau: castles | Walden, Conclusion | The following sentence adds practical context |
Misattribution and Translation
A character’s line is not automatically the author’s personal belief. An English translation is not the ancient author’s original English wording. An excerpt can omit a qualification in the next sentence. Review the passage and keep its attribution, speaker and edition attached when sharing.
Each excerpt here is tied to a traceable source rather than a popular attribution. The International Churchill Society’s attribution review illustrates why a widely circulated name can be unsupported.
Choose an excerpt for its relevance rather than a famous name. Read the surrounding paragraph or scene. Keep the linked translation when exact wording matters, and describe any omission clearly. Recheck source availability before publishing; the fixed collection does not monitor external websites.
Reuse Permission and Saved Entries
Source verification is separate from reuse permission. No blanket public-domain, merchandise or commercial-use guarantee is supplied. Read the linked edition’s terms and check your intended use. The U.S. Copyright Office’s quotation FAQ explains that there is no universal permitted word count. This tool does not decide whether a particular reuse is allowed.
Copy failure leaves current and saved output selectable. Changing the quote, category or saved list cancels stale Copy feedback. Saving is temporary; copy entries you want to keep before leaving.