| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Phaedo by Plato: then he would also know the worse, since the same science comprehended
both. And I rejoiced to think that I had found in Anaxagoras a teacher of
the causes of existence such as I desired, and I imagined that he would
tell me first whether the earth is flat or round; and whichever was true,
he would proceed to explain the cause and the necessity of this being so,
and then he would teach me the nature of the best and show that this was
best; and if he said that the earth was in the centre, he would further
explain that this position was the best, and I should be satisfied with the
explanation given, and not want any other sort of cause. And I thought
that I would then go on and ask him about the sun and moon and stars, and
that he would explain to me their comparative swiftness, and their
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Brother of Daphne by Dornford Yates: much."
"There's a back door."
"I never thought of that. Splendid! Leading to the kitchen, of
course. They'd never notice me there. And I could just drop in
at the office for the key of my room, and see if there were any
letters on the way up, and- My dear girl, how can I? I admit
I've a good deal of nerve, but there is a limit. I know one can
do most things nowadays, but- "
"But this is a special occasion."
"You seem to want to make it one."
"And it can't be helped. This sort of modesty's out of date."
The Brother of Daphne |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Lily of the Valley by Honore de Balzac: respect mingled with adoration which the angels inspire. Twice during
those fifty days the countess passed beyond the limits in which we
held our affection. But even these infringements were shrouded in a
veil, never lifted until the final hour when avowal came. One morning,
during the first days of the count's illness, when she repented her
harsh treatment in withdrawing the innocent privileges she had
formerly granted me, I was expecting her to relieve my watch. Much
fatigued, I fell asleep, my head against the wall. I wakened suddenly
at the touch of something cool upon my forehead which gave me a
sensation as if a rose had rested there. I opened my eyes and saw the
countess, standing a few steps distant, who said, "I have just come."
The Lily of the Valley |
