| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Cavalry General by Xenophon: place, all the front-rank men are forced to act as officers;[9] and
the same man, mark you, when in command is somehow apt to feel that
deeds of valour are incumbent on him which, as a private, he ignores;
and in the next place, at a crisis when something calls for action on
the instant, the word of command passed not to privates but to
officers takes speedier effect.
[9] i.e. all find themselves in a position of command, and there is
nothing like command to inspire that feeling of noblesse oblige
which is often lacking in the private soldier. See Thuc. v. 66;
"Pol. Lac." xi. 5.
Supposing, then, a regiment of cavalry drawn up in this formation:
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: countenance of angelic beauty and expression. Her hair of a shining
raven black, and curiously braided; her eyes were dark, but gentle,
although animated; her features of a regular proportion, and her
complexion wondrously fair, each cheek tinged with a lovely pink.
"Felix seemed ravished with delight when he saw her, every trait of
sorrow vanished from his face, and it instantly expressed a degree
of ecstatic joy, of which I could hardly have believed it capable;
his eyes sparkled, as his cheek flushed with pleasure; and at that
moment I thought him as beautiful as the stranger. She appeared
affected by different feelings; wiping a few tears from her lovely
eyes, she held out her hand to Felix, who kissed it rapturously
Frankenstein |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Marie by H. Rider Haggard: I must be, as my hair stuck up on my head--I had taken off my hat out of
politeness--as it naturally would do on a pig's back.
This was too much for me, so, before either of the others could speak, I
answered in Dutch, for rage made me eloquent and bold:
"Yes, I am he; but, mynheer, if you are to be my master, I hope you will
not call the English pigs any more to me."
"Indeed, gamin" (that is, little scamp), "and pray, what will happen if
I am so bold as to repeat that truth?"
"I think, mynheer," I replied, growing white with rage at this new
insult, "the same that has happened to yonder buck," and I pointed to
the klipspringer behind Hans's saddle. "I mean that I shall shoot you."
Marie |
