| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Of The Nature of Things by Lucretius: And there's no new delight that may be forged
By living on. But whilst the thing we long for
Is lacking, that seems good above all else;
Thereafter, when we've touched it, something else
We long for; ever one equal thirst of life
Grips us agape. And doubtful 'tis what fortune
The future times may carry, or what be
That chance may bring, or what the issue next
Awaiting us. Nor by prolonging life
Take we the least away from death's own time,
Nor can we pluck one moment off, whereby
Of The Nature of Things |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde: enough. I insist on going into this room. You have told me there is
no one there, so what reason can you have for refusing me?
LORD GORING. For God's sake, don't! There is some one there. Some
one whom you must not see.
SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. Ah, I thought so!
LORD GORING. I forbid you to enter that room.
SIR ROBERT CHILTERN. Stand back. My life is at stake. And I don't
care who is there. I will know who it is to whom I have told my
secret and my shame. [Enters room.]
LORD GORING. Great heavens! his own wife!
[SIR ROBERT CHILTERN comes back, with a look of scorn and anger on
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Hiero by Xenophon: liable, Sinmonides, which I will name to you. It is this. Tyrants no
less than ordinary mortals can distinguish merit. The orderly,[1] the
wise, the just and upright, they freely recognise; but instead of
admiring them, they are afraid of them--the courageous, lest they
should venture something for the sake of freedom; the wise, lest they
invent some subtle mischief;[2] the just and upright, lest the
multitude should take a fancy to be led by them.
[1] The same epithets occur in Aristoph. "Plut." 89:
{ego gar on meirakion epeiles' oti
os tous dikaious kai sophous kai kosmious
monous badioimen.}
|
