| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Les Miserables by Victor Hugo: tables had been gathered up, bullets run, cartridges manufactured,
lint scraped, the fallen weapons re-distributed, the interior
of the redoubt cleaned, the rubbish swept up, corpses removed.
They laid the dead in a heap in the Mondetour lane, of which they were
still the masters. The pavement was red for a long time at that spot.
Among the dead there were four National Guardsmen of the suburbs.
Enjolras had their uniforms laid aside.
Enjolras had advised two hours of sleep. Advice from Enjolras
was a command. Still, only three or four took advantage of it.
Feuilly employed these two hours in engraving this inscription
on the wall which faced the tavern:--
Les Miserables |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Gobseck by Honore de Balzac: gaming debts, and carriage-builders' accounts, money lost to Heaven
knows whom. My magician of a boon companion had impressed it upon me
that she was rich enough to make good these reverses by a few years of
economy. But only now did I begin to guess the reasons of his urgency.
I confess, to my shame, that I had not the shadow of a doubt but that
it was a matter of importance that Daddy Gobseck should make it up
with this dandy. I was dressing when the young gentleman appeared.
" 'M. le Comte,' said I, after the usual greetings, 'I fail to see why
you should need me to effect an introduction to Van Gobseck, the most
civil and smooth-spoken of capitalists. Money will be forthcoming if
he has any, or rather, if you can give him adequate security.'
Gobseck |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Apology by Plato: speaking have a superhuman wisdom which I may fail to describe, because I
have it not myself; and he who says that I have, speaks falsely, and is
taking away my character. And here, O men of Athens, I must beg you not to
interrupt me, even if I seem to say something extravagant. For the word
which I will speak is not mine. I will refer you to a witness who is
worthy of credit; that witness shall be the God of Delphi--he will tell you
about my wisdom, if I have any, and of what sort it is. You must have
known Chaerephon; he was early a friend of mine, and also a friend of
yours, for he shared in the recent exile of the people, and returned with
you. Well, Chaerephon, as you know, was very impetuous in all his doings,
and he went to Delphi and boldly asked the oracle to tell him whether--as I
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