| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Cratylus by Plato: disguises of colour and smell. Hector and Astyanax have only one letter
alike, but they have the same meaning; and Agis (leader) is altogether
different in sound from Polemarchus (chief in war), or Eupolemus (good
warrior); but the two words present the same idea of leader or general,
like the words Iatrocles and Acesimbrotus, which equally denote a
physician. The son succeeds the father as the foal succeeds the horse, but
when, out of the course of nature, a prodigy occurs, and the offspring no
longer resembles the parent, then the names no longer agree. This may be
illustrated by the case of Agamemnon and his son Orestes, of whom the
former has a name significant of his patience at the siege of Troy; while
the name of the latter indicates his savage, man-of-the-mountain nature.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War by Frederick A. Talbot: and indeed the only useful duty of the dirigible, although it is
quite possible that the aerial craft might participate in a
subsequent naval engagement, as, indeed, has been the case. Its
participation, however, would be governed entirely by climatic
conditions. The fact that the dirigible is a weak unit of attack
in naval operations is fully appreciated by all the belligerents.
The picture of a sky "black with Zeppelins" may appeal to the
popular imagination, and may induce the uninitiated to cherish
the belief that such an array would strike terror into the hearts
of the foe, but the naval authorities are well aware that no
material advantage would accrue from such a force. In the first
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne: I would not have your ruins mingle with those of the Avenger!"
I reached my room. The Captain and his second had remained on the platform.
The screw was set in motion, and the Nautilus, moving with speed,
was soon beyond the reach of the ship's guns. But the pursuit continued,
and Captain Nemo contented himself with keeping his distance.
About four in the afternoon, being no longer able to
contain my impatience, I went to the central staircase.
The panel was open, and I ventured on to the platform.
The Captain was still walking up and down with an agitated step.
He was looking at the ship, which was five or six miles to leeward.
He was going round it like a wild beast, and, drawing it eastward,
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea |
