| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Oscar Wilde Miscellaneous by Oscar Wilde: The body is vile, Myrrhina. God will raise thee up with a new body
which will not know corruption, and thou shalt dwell in the Courts
of the Lord and see Him whose hair is like fine wool and whose feet
are of brass.
MYRRHINA. The beauty. . .
HONORIUS. The beauty of the soul increases until it can see God.
Therefore, Myrrhina, repent of thy sins. The robber who was
crucified beside Him He brought into Paradise. [Exit.]
MYRRHINA. How strangely he spake to me. And with what scorn did he
regard me. I wonder why he spake to me so strangely.
* * * * *
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Euthydemus by Plato: philosophy is nought; and I think that if you had been present you would
have been ashamed of your friend--his conduct was so very strange in
placing himself at the mercy of men who care not what they say, and fasten
upon every word. And these, as I was telling you, are supposed to be the
most eminent professors of their time. But the truth is, Crito, that the
study itself and the men themselves are utterly mean and ridiculous.' Now
censure of the pursuit, Socrates, whether coming from him or from others,
appears to me to be undeserved; but as to the impropriety of holding a
public discussion with such men, there, I confess that, in my opinion, he
was in the right.
SOCRATES: O Crito, they are marvellous men; but what was I going to say?
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Lysis by Plato: in which public opinion regards them; they must be reconciled with the
ordinary duties of life; and they must be justified by the result.
Yet another question, 10). Admitting that friendships cannot be always
permanent, we may ask when and upon what conditions should they be
dissolved. It would be futile to retain the name when the reality has
ceased to be. That two friends should part company whenever the relation
between them begins to drag may be better for both of them. But then
arises the consideration, how should these friends in youth or friends of
the past regard or be regarded by one another? They are parted, but there
still remain duties mutually owing by them. They will not admit the world
to share in their difference any more than in their friendship; the memory
Lysis |
