| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Menexenus by Plato: writings. But the testimony of Aristotle cannot always be distinguished
from that of a later age (see above); and has various degrees of
importance. Those writings which he cites without mentioning Plato, under
their own names, e.g. the Hippias, the Funeral Oration, the Phaedo, etc.,
have an inferior degree of evidence in their favour. They may have been
supposed by him to be the writings of another, although in the case of
really great works, e.g. the Phaedo, this is not credible; those again
which are quoted but not named, are still more defective in their external
credentials. There may be also a possibility that Aristotle was mistaken,
or may have confused the master and his scholars in the case of a short
writing; but this is inconceivable about a more important work, e.g. the
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Lin McLean by Owen Wister: serious matter. Did I realize that? A man was liable to forget it. A man
was liable to go sporting and helling around till he waked up some day
and found all his best pleasures had become just a business. No interest,
no surprise, no novelty left, and no cash in the bank. Shorty owed him
fifty dollars. Shorty would be able to pay that after the round-up, and
he, Lin, would get his time and rustle altogether some five hundred
dollars. Then there was his homestead claim on Box Elder, and the
surveyors were coming in this fall. No better location for a home in this
country than Box Elder. Wood, water, fine land. All it needed was a house
and ditches and buildings and fences, and to be planted with crops. Such
chances and considerations should sober a man and make him careful what
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Youth by Joseph Conrad: Then we all had a look at the captain's chart, and, after
a sociable meal of hard bread and water, got our last
instructions. These were simple: steer north, and keep
together as much as possible. 'Be careful with that
jury rig, Marlow,' said the captain; and Mahon, as I
sailed proudly past his boat, wrinkled his curved nose
and hailed, 'You will sail that ship of yours under
water, if you don't look out, young fellow.' He was a
malicious old man--and may the deep sea where he sleeps
now rock him gently, rock him tenderly to the end of time!
"Before sunset a thick rain-squall passed over the two
Youth |
