| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Tour Through Eastern Counties of England by Daniel Defoe: the antiquity of the place, it being built as the walls of the town
also are, with Roman bricks, and the Roman coins dug up here, and
ploughed up in the fields adjoining, confirm it. The inhabitants
boast much that Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, first
Christian Emperor of the Romans, was born there, and it may be so
for aught we know. I only observe what Mr. Camden says of the
Castle of Colchester, viz.: In the middle of this city stands a
castle ready to fall with age.
Though this castle has stood one hundred and twenty years from the
time Mr. Camden wrote that account, and it is not fallen yet, nor
will another hundred and twenty years, I believe, make it look one
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: some mixed with gold, and had all these brought to Pekin against my
partner's return. Besides this, we bought a large quantity of raw
silk, and some other goods, our cargo amounting, in these goods
only, to about three thousand five hundred pounds sterling; which,
together with tea and some fine calicoes, and three camels' loads
of nutmegs and cloves, loaded in all eighteen camels for our share,
besides those we rode upon; these, with two or three spare horses,
and two horses loaded with provisions, made together twenty-six
camels and horses in our retinue.
The company was very great, and, as near as I can remember, made
between three and four hundred horses, and upwards of one hundred
Robinson Crusoe |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Gobseck by Honore de Balzac: " 'Precisely.'
"A cab stopped at the door, and the sound of wheels filled the room.
" 'I will bring something directly which perhaps will satisfy you,'
cried the young man, and he left the room.
" 'Oh! my son,' exclaimed Gobseck, rising to his feet, and stretching
out his arms to me, 'if he has good security, you have saved my life.
It would be the death of me. Werbrust and Gigonnet imagined that they
were going to play off a trick on me; and now, thanks to you, I shall
have a good laugh at their expense to-night.'
"There was something frightful about the old man's ecstasy. It was the
one occasion when he opened his heart to me; and that flash of joy,
Gobseck |
