| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin: so strongly, that, had the overture been sooner made me, probably I
should not so soon have returned to America. After many years,
you and I had something of more importance to do with one of these
sons of Sir William Wyndham, become Earl of Egremont, which I shall
mention in its place.
Thus I spent about eighteen months in London; most part of the time
I work'd hard at my business, and spent but little upon myself
except in seeing plays and in books. My friend Ralph had kept
me poor; he owed me about twenty-seven pounds, which I was now
never likely to receive; a great sum out of my small earnings!
I lov'd him, notwithstanding, for he had many amiable qualities.
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Dreams by Olive Schreiner: Presently there came a peasant boy down the path leading his ass; she had
two large panniers fastened to her sides; and they went down the road
before me.
I had never seen him before; but I should have liked to walk by him and to
have held his hand--only, he would not have known why.
Alassio, Italy.
VIII. LIFE'S GIFTS.
I saw a woman sleeping. In her sleep she dreamt Life stood before her, and
held in each hand a gift--in the one Love, in the other Freedom. And she
said to the woman, "Choose!"
And the woman waited long: and she said, "Freedom!"
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Phaedrus by Plato: kindnesses which they have shown, when their love is over.'
SOCRATES: Here he appears to have done just the reverse of what he ought;
for he has begun at the end, and is swimming on his back through the flood
to the place of starting. His address to the fair youth begins where the
lover would have ended. Am I not right, sweet Phaedrus?
PHAEDRUS: Yes, indeed, Socrates; he does begin at the end.
SOCRATES: Then as to the other topics--are they not thrown down anyhow?
Is there any principle in them? Why should the next topic follow next in
order, or any other topic? I cannot help fancying in my ignorance that he
wrote off boldly just what came into his head, but I dare say that you
would recognize a rhetorical necessity in the succession of the several
|
