| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia by Samuel Johnson: massive that no man, without the help of engines, could open or
shut them.
From the mountains on every side rivulets descended that filled all
the valley with verdure and fertility, and formed a lake in the
middle, inhabited by fish of every species, and frequented by every
fowl whom nature has taught to dip the wing in water. This lake
discharged its superfluities by a stream, which entered a dark
cleft of the mountain on the northern side, and fell with dreadful
noise from precipice to precipice till it was heard no more.
The sides of the mountains were covered with trees, the banks of
the brooks were diversified with flowers; every blast shook spices
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce: passage from Morryster, who antedated him by two centuries:
While in yt londe I was carried to see ye Ghogo tree, whereof
I had hearde moch talk; but sayynge yt I saw naught remarkabyll in
it, ye hed manne of ye villayge where it grewe made answer as
followeth:
"Ye tree is not nowe in fruite, but in his seasonne you shall
see dependynge fr. his braunches all soch as have affroynted ye
King his Majesty."
And I was furder tolde yt ye worde "Ghogo" sygnifyeth in yr
tong ye same as "rapscal" in our owne.
_Trauvells in ye Easte_
The Devil's Dictionary |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith: graceless varlet, I owe all this? I'll teach you to abuse your mother,
I will.
TONY. Ecod, mother, all the parish says you have spoiled me, and so
you may take the fruits on't.
MRS. HARDCASTLE. I'll spoil you, I will. [Follows him off the stage.
Exit.]
HARDCASTLE. There's morality, however, in his reply. [Exit.]
Enter HASTINGS and MISS NEVILLE.
HASTINGS. My dear Constance, why will you deliberate thus? If we
delay a moment, all is lost for ever. Pluck up a little resolution,
and we shall soon be out of the reach of her malignity.
She Stoops to Conquer |
