| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Albert Savarus by Honore de Balzac: horse, useful only to receive the purely Ministerial votes. The votes,
thus divided, gave no result. The Republican candidate had twenty, the
Ministry got fifty, Albert had seventy, Monsieur de Chavoncourt
obtained sixty-seven. But the Prefet's party had perfidiously made
thirty of its most devoted adherents vote for Albert, so as to deceive
the enemy. The votes for Monsieur de Chavoncourt, added to the eighty
votes--the real number--at the disposal of the Prefecture, would carry
the election, if only the Prefet could succeed in gaining over a few
of the Radicals. A hundred and sixty votes were not recorded: those of
Monsieur de Grancey's following and the Legitimists.
The show of hands at an election, like a dress rehearsal at a theatre,
 Albert Savarus |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Contrast by Royall Tyler: a burning shame for the true blue Bunker Hill sons of
liberty, who had fought Governor Hutchinson, Lord
North, and the Devil, to have any hand in kicking up
a cursed dust against a government which we had,
every mother's son of us, a hand in making.
JESSAMY
Bravo!--Well, have you been abroad in the city
since your arrival? What have you seen that is
curious and entertaining?
JONATHAN
Oh! I have seen a power of fine sights. I went to
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from King Lear by William Shakespeare: Lear. O vassal! miscreant!
[Lays his hand on his sword.]
Alb., Corn. Dear sir, forbear!
Kent. Do!
Kill thy physician, and the fee bestow
Upon the foul disease. Revoke thy gift,
Or, whilst I can vent clamour from my throat,
I'll tell thee thou dost evil.
Lear. Hear me, recreant!
On thine allegiance, hear me!
Since thou hast sought to make us break our vow-
 King Lear |