| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Symposium by Plato: are as yet intemperate only that they may become temperate, and of
preserving their love; and again, of the vulgar Polyhymnia, who must be
used with circumspection that the pleasure be enjoyed, but may not generate
licentiousness; just as in my own art it is a great matter so to regulate
the desires of the epicure that he may gratify his tastes without the
attendant evil of disease. Whence I infer that in music, in medicine, in
all other things human as well as divine, both loves ought to be noted as
far as may be, for they are both present.
The course of the seasons is also full of both these principles; and when,
as I was saying, the elements of hot and cold, moist and dry, attain the
harmonious love of one another and blend in temperance and harmony, they
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells: noise in his throat. I recognised the Ape-man: I had indeed
already identified his voice, and two of the white-swathed
brown-featured creatures I had seen in Montgomery's boat.
With these were the two dappled brutes and that grey, horribly crooked
creature who said the Law, with grey hair streaming down its cheeks,
heavy grey eyebrows, and grey locks pouring off from a central
parting upon its sloping forehead,--a heavy, faceless thing,
with strange red eyes, looking at us curiously from amidst
the green.
For a space no one spoke. Then Montgomery hiccoughed, "Who--said
he was dead?"
The Island of Doctor Moreau |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Men of Iron by Howard Pyle: As the time for the duel approached, the days seemed to drag
themselves along upon leaden feet; nevertheless, the days came
and went, as all days do, bringing with them, at last, the
fateful 3d of September.
Early in the morning, while the sun was still level and red, the
Prince himself, unattended, came to Myles's apartment, in the
outer room of which Gascoyne was bustling busily about arranging
the armor piece by piece; renewing straps and thongs, but not
whistling over his work as he usually did. The Prince nodded to
him, and then passed silently through to the inner chamber. Myles
was upon his knees, and Father Ambrose, the Prince's chaplain,
Men of Iron |
