| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Eryxias by Platonic Imitator: earnestly entreat the Gods to grant you good things, although you know not
whether they can yield your request, it is as though you went to the doors
of the grammarian and begged him, although you had never made a study of
the art, to give you a knowledge of grammar which would enable you
forthwith to do the business of a grammarian.
While I was speaking, Prodicus was preparing to retaliate upon his youthful
assailant, intending to employ the argument of which you have just made
use; for he was annoyed to have it supposed that he offered a vain prayer
to the Gods. But the master of the gymnasium came to him and begged him to
leave because he was teaching the youths doctrines which were unsuited to
them, and therefore bad for them.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas: never does such a godsend fall to the lot of the poor man.
The rich man, on the contrary, makes himself revenues with
his money, which he does not even touch. Here are three
hundred and seventy-five livres which fall to me from
heaven. I will go then to the Image-de-Notre-Dame, and drink
a glass of Spanish wine with my tenant, which he cannot fail
to offer me. But order must be observed, Monsieur
d'Artagnan, order must be observed! Let us organize our
time, then, and distribute the employment of it! Art. 1st,
Athos; Art. 2d, the Image-de-Notre-Dame; Art. 3d, M.
Fouquet, Art. 4th, M. Colbert; Art. 5th, supper; Art. 6th,
Ten Years Later |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells: "Yes. These creatures you have seen are animals carven and wrought
into new shapes. To that, to the study of the plasticity of
living forms, my life has been devoted. I have studied for years,
gaining in knowledge as I go. I see you look horrified, and yet I
am telling you nothing new. It all lay in the surface of practical
anatomy years ago, but no one had the temerity to touch it.
It is not simply the outward form of an animal which I can change.
The physiology, the chemical rhythm of the creature, may also be made
to undergo an enduring modification,--of which vaccination and other
methods of inoculation with living or dead matter are examples
that will, no doubt, be familiar to you. A similar operation is
The Island of Doctor Moreau |
