He remained, therefore, continually shut up in his laboratory, watching his furnace; for a moment's inadvertency might once more defeat all his expectations.
"Bracebridge Hall, or The Humorists"
Washington Irving
It is true, sometimes it happened that he was not present, but this was not always the case; and I was convinced that it could not be from accident or inadvertency, that it must be from settled design, that he persisted in this blindness.
"Tales & Novels, Vol. IX [Contents: Harrington; Thoughts on Bores; Ormond]"
Maria Edgeworth
When that was done, and the city in an uproar, Megacles, with all his family, at once fled; but Solon, though he was now very old, and had none to back him, yet came into the marketplace and made a speech to the citizens, partly blaming their inadvertency and meanness of spirit, and in part urging and exhorting them not thus tamely to lose their liberty; and likewise then spoke that memorable saying, that, before, it was an easier task to stop the rising tyranny, but now the greater and more glorious action to destroy it, when it was begun already, and had gathered strength.
"Plutarch-Lives-of-the-noble-Grecians-and-Romans"
Clough, Arthur Hugh