| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Meno by Plato: good, the point of the definition is contained in the words, 'the power of
getting them.' 'And they must be got justly or with justice.' The
definition will then stand thus: 'Virtue is the power of getting good with
justice.' But justice is a part of virtue, and therefore virtue is the
getting of good with a part of virtue. The definition repeats the word
defined.
Meno complains that the conversation of Socrates has the effect of a
torpedo's shock upon him. When he talks with other persons he has plenty
to say about virtue; in the presence of Socrates, his thoughts desert him.
Socrates replies that he is only the cause of perplexity in others, because
he is himself perplexed. He proposes to continue the enquiry. But how,
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Illustrious Gaudissart by Honore de Balzac: and which he hid so cautiously that neither his wife nor the servant
who watched him had ever been able to discover its hiding-place.
The evening before Gaudissart reached Vouvray Madame Margaritis had
had more difficulty than usual in deceiving her husband, whose mind
happened to be uncommonly lucid.
"I really don't know how I shall get through to-morrow," she had said
to Madame Vernier. "Would you believe it, the good-man insists on
watching his two casks of wine. He has worried me so this whole day,
that I had to show him two full puncheons. Our neighbor, Pierre
Champlain, fortunately had two which he had not sold. I asked him to
kindly let me have them rolled into our cellar; and oh, dear! now that
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Tanach: Genesis 42: 10 And they said unto him: 'Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.
Genesis 42: 11 We are all one man's sons; we are upright men, thy servants are no spies.'
Genesis 42: 12 And he said unto them: 'Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.'
Genesis 42: 13 And they said: 'We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.'
Genesis 42: 14 And Joseph said unto them: 'That is it that I spoke unto you, saying: Ye are spies.
Genesis 42: 15 Hereby ye shall be proved, as Pharaoh liveth, ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.
Genesis 42: 16 Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be bound, that your words may be proved, whether there be truth in you; or else, as Pharaoh liveth, surely ye are spies.'
Genesis 42: 17 And he put them all together into ward three days.
Genesis 42: 18 And Joseph said unto them the third day. 'This do, and live; for I fear God:
Genesis 42: 19 if ye be upright men, let one of your brethren be bound in your prison-house; but go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses;
The Tanach |
