| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: Anglesea of 2300 feet; and he informs me that he fully believes there is
one in Merionethshire of 12,000 feet; yet in these cases there is nothing
on the surface to show such prodigious movements; the pile of rocks on the
one or other side having been smoothly swept away. The consideration of
these facts impresses my mind almost in the same manner as does the vain
endeavour to grapple with the idea of eternity.
I am tempted to give one other case, the well-known one of the denudation
of the Weald. Though it must be admitted that the denudation of the Weald
has been a mere trifle, in comparison with that which has removed masses of
our palaeozoic strata, in parts ten thousand feet in thickness, as shown in
Prof. Ramsay's masterly memoir on this subject. Yet it is an admirable
On the Origin of Species |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne: Yet who knows whether some despot----"
Captain Nemo finished his sentence with a violent gesture.
Then, addressing me as if to chase away some sorrowful thought:
"M. Aronnax," he asked. "do you know the depth of the ocean?"
"I only know, Captain, what the principal soundings have taught us."
"Could you tell me them, so that I can suit them to my purpose?"
"These are some," I replied, "that I remember. If I am not mistaken,
a depth of 8,000 yards has been found in the North Atlantic,
and 2,500 yards in the Mediterranean. The most remarkable soundings
have been made in the South Atlantic, near the thirty-fifth parallel,
and they gave 12,000 yards, 14,000 yards, and 15,000 yards.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli: opinion that the affairs of the world are in such wise governed by
fortune and by God that men with their wisdom cannot direct them and
that no one can even help them; and because of this they would have us
believe that it is not necessary to labour much in affairs, but to let
chance govern them. This opinion has been more credited in our times
because of the great changes in affairs which have been seen, and may
still be seen, every day, beyond all human conjecture. Sometimes
pondering over this, I am in some degree inclined to their opinion.
Nevertheless, not to extinguish our free will, I hold it to be true
that Fortune is the arbiter of one-half of our actions,[*] but that
she still leaves us to direct the other half, or perhaps a little
The Prince |
