| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Four Arthurian Romances by Chretien DeTroyes: immediately afterward. Scholars have waged war over the theories
of transmission of the so-called Arthurian material during the
centuries which elapsed between the time of the fabled
chieftain's activity in 500 A.D. and his appearance as a great
literary personage in the twelfth century. Documents are lacking
for the dark ages of popular tradition before the Norman
Conquest, and the theorists may work their will. But Arthur and
his knights, as we see them in the earliest French romances, have
little in common with their Celtic prototypes, as we dimly catch
sight of them in Irish, Welsh, and Breton legend. Chretien
belonged to a generation of French poets who rook over a great
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Marie by H. Rider Haggard: nation, I apologise to you."
"Thank you, sir; as it happens, I do, half. The rest of me is
Portuguese, not English, thank God."
"God is thanked for many things that must surprise Him," replied my
father in a suave voice.
At that moment this rather disagreeable conversation, which even then
both angered and amused me faintly, came to an end, for the Heer Marais
entered the place.
As might have been expected in so excitable a man, he was in a terrible
state of agitation. Thankfulness at the escape of his only, beloved
child, rage with the Kaffirs who had tried to kill her, and extreme
Marie |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Eugenie Grandet by Honore de Balzac: ceased towards evening, after growing gradually feebler.
"Poor young man!" said Madame Grandet.
Fatal exclamation! Pere Grandet looked at his wife, at Eugenie, and at
the sugar-bowl. He recollected the extraordinary breakfast prepared
for the unfortunate youth, and he took a position in the middle of the
room.
"Listen to me," he said, with his usual composure. "I hope that you
will not continue this extravagance, Madame Grandet. I don't give you
MY money to stuff that young fellow with sugar."
"My mother had nothing to do with it," said Eugenie; "it was I who--"
"Is it because you are of age," said Grandet, interrupting his
Eugenie Grandet |
