| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Art of War by Sun Tzu: engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and
a deep ditch. All we need do is attack some other place that he
will be obliged to relieve.
[Tu Mu says: "If the enemy is the invading party, we can
cut his line of communications and occupy the roads by which he
will have to return; if we are the invaders, we may direct our
attack against the sovereign himself." It is clear that Sun Tzu,
unlike certain generals in the late Boer war, was no believer in
frontal attacks.]
12. If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy
from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be
The Art of War |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from A Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: Castle of Wolgast, and which, therefore, he opined, was a
testimonial of the strictest and deepest mourning.
When Dalgetty mounted his steed, he found himself attended, or
perhaps guarded, by five or six Campbells, well armed, commanded
by one, who, from the target at his shoulder, and the short
cock's feather in his bonnet, as well as from the state which he
took upon himself, claimed the rank of a Dunniewassel, or
clansman of superior rank; and indeed, from his dignity of
deportment, could not stand in a more distant degree of
relationship to Sir Duncan, than that of tenth or twelfth cousin
at farthest. But it was impossible to extract positive
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy: now tentless, dirty, owning no tables or benches, and having
scarce any customers except two small whity-brown boys, who
came up and asked for "A ha'p'orth, please--good measure,"
which she served in a couple of chipped yellow basins of
commonest clay.
"She was here at that time," resumed Mrs. Newson, making a
step as if to draw nearer.
"Don't speak to her--it isn't respectable!" urged the other.
"I will just say a word--you, Elizabeth-Jane, can stay
here."
The girl was not loth, and turned to some stalls of coloured
The Mayor of Casterbridge |
