| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens: the seven deadly sins, and humility and lowliness of heart were
virtues. Wherefore she desired that Dolly would be kissed
immediately, on pain of her just displeasure; at the same time
giving her to understand that whatever she saw her mother do, she
might safely do herself, without being at the trouble of any
reasoning or reflection on the subject--which, indeed, was
offensive and undutiful, and in direct contravention of the church
catechism.
Thus admonished, Dolly complied, though by no means willingly; for
there was a broad, bold look of admiration in Mr Chester's face,
refined and polished though it sought to be, which distressed her
Barnaby Rudge |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Tales and Fantasies by Robert Louis Stevenson: vaulting hyperbole, under the rubric of a gilded saloon; and,
if it was a sin to go there, the sin was merely local and
municipal. Colette (whose name I do not know how to spell,
for I was never in epistolary communication with that
hospitable outlaw) was simply an unlicensed publican, who
gave suppers after eleven at night, the Edinburgh hour of
closing. If you belonged to a club, you could get a much
better supper at the same hour, and lose not a jot in public
esteem. But if you lacked that qualification, and were an
hungered, or inclined toward conviviality at unlawful hours,
Colette's was your only port. You were very ill-supplied.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Phaedo by Plato: were in the form of man, and must have had intelligence.
Unless indeed you suppose, Socrates, that these notions are given us at the
very moment of birth; for this is the only time which remains.
Yes, my friend, but if so, when do we lose them? for they are not in us
when we are born--that is admitted. Do we lose them at the moment of
receiving them, or if not at what other time?
No, Socrates, I perceive that I was unconsciously talking nonsense.
Then may we not say, Simmias, that if, as we are always repeating, there is
an absolute beauty, and goodness, and an absolute essence of all things;
and if to this, which is now discovered to have existed in our former
state, we refer all our sensations, and with this compare them, finding
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