| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln: what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.
It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished
work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining
before us. . .that from these honored dead we take increased devotion
to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion. . .
that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. . .
that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom. . .
and that government of the people. . .by the people. . .for the people. . .
shall not perish from this earth.
#ENDMARK#
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Rewards and Fairies by Rudyard Kipling: 'Said William of Exeter: "Harold was slain at Santlache fight.
All the world knows it."
'"I think this man must have forgotten," said Rahere. "Be
comforted, Father. Thou wast well slain at Hastings forty years
gone, less three months and nine days. Tell the King."
'The man uncovered his face. "I thought they would stone
me," he said. "I did not know I spoke before a King." He came to
his full towering height - no mean man, but frail beyond belief.
'The King turned to the tables, and held him out his own cup of
wine. The old man drank, and beckoned behind him, and, before
all the Normans, my Hugh bore away the empty cup, Saxon-
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Apology by Xenophon: in the old days he had never harshly opposed himself to the good
things of life morosely,[60] so even in face of death he showed no
touch of weakness, but with gaiety welcomed death's embrace, and
discharged life's debt.
[58] Lit. "dear to the gods"; "highly favoured."
[59] Cf. Hom. "Od." xii. 341, {pantes men stugeroi thanatoi deiloisi
brotoisin}.
[60] {prosantes}, i.e. "he faced death boldly as he had encountered
life's blessings blandly." "As he had been no stoic to repudiate
life's blessings, so he was no coward to," etc.
For myself indeed, as I lay to mind the wisdom of the man and his
The Apology |
