| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Symposium by Xenophon: Anaximander, and Stesimbrotus, and many others,[15] so that no single
point in all that costly lore is lost upon you.[16] But what (he
added, turning to Critobulus) do you most pride yourself upon?
[14] i.e. "they haven't the key (of knowledge) to the allegorical or
spiritual meaning of the sacred text." Cf. Plat. "Crat." 407;
"Ion," 534; "Rep." 378, 387; "Theaet." 180; "Prot." 316. See
Grote, "H. G." i. 564.
[15] See Aristot. "Rhet." iii. 11, 13. "Or we may describe Niceratus
[not improbably our friend] as a 'Philoctetes stung by Pratys,'
using the simile of Thrasymachus when he saw Niceratus after his
defeat by Pratys in the rhapsody with his hair still dishevelled
The Symposium |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas: "That is an important point, do you understand?"
"Then the news I brought you is of value?"
"The greatest, my dear Bonacieux; I don't conceal this from you."
"Then the cardinal will be pleased with me?"
"I have no doubt of it."
"The great cardinal!"
"Are you sure, in her conversation with you, that your wife
mentioned no names?"
"I think not."
"She did not name Madame de Chevreuse, the Duke of Buckingham, or
Madame de Vernet?"
The Three Musketeers |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Nada the Lily by H. Rider Haggard: moons, Nada came from her husband's hut when the sun was already high,
and went down through the rock gully to the river to bathe. On the
right of the path to the river lay the mealie-fields of the chief, and
in them laboured Zinita and the other women of Umslopogaas, weeding
the mealie-plants. They looked up and saw Nada pass, then worked on
sullenly. After awhile they saw her come again fresh from the bath,
very fair to see, and having flowers twined among her hair, and as she
walked she sang a song of love. Now Zinita cast down her hoe.
"Is this to be borne, my sisters?" she said.
"No," answered another, "it is not to be borne. What shall we do--
shall we fall upon her and kill her now?"
Nada the Lily |
