| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Enemies of Books by William Blades: did not seem to disturb his good humour, or to make him unhappy,
and his answer was to call `Bill,' who was acting as porter,
and to tell him to give the gentleman the key of the `book room,'
and to bring down any of the books he might pick out, and he `would
sell 'em.' I followed `Bill,' and soon found myself in a
charming nook of a library, full of books, mostly old divinity,
but with a large number of the best miscellaneous literature of
the sixteenth century, English and foreign. A very short look over
the shelves produced some thirty Black Letter books, three or four
illuminated missals, and some book rarities of a more recent date.
`Bill' took them downstairs, and I wondered what would happen!
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Eugenie Grandet by Honore de Balzac: out their best horses."
"Very good. You did not tell them where I was going?"
"I didn't know where."
"Very good. Is the carriage strong?"
"Strong? hear to that, now! Why, it can carry three thousand weight.
How much does that old keg weigh?"
"Goodness!" exclaimed Nanon. "I ought to know! There's pretty nigh
eighteen hundred--"
"Will you hold your tongue, Nanon! You are to tell my wife I have gone
into the country. I shall be back to dinner. Drive fast, Cornoiller; I
must get to Angers before nine o'clock."
Eugenie Grandet |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Sophist by Plato: foundation of the matter.
THEAETETUS: What do you mean? Do not be afraid to speak.
STRANGER: To that which is, may be attributed some other thing which is?
THEAETETUS: Certainly.
STRANGER: But can anything which is, be attributed to that which is not?
THEAETETUS: Impossible.
STRANGER: And all number is to be reckoned among things which are?
THEAETETUS: Yes, surely number, if anything, has a real existence.
STRANGER: Then we must not attempt to attribute to not-being number either
in the singular or plural?
THEAETETUS: The argument implies that we should be wrong in doing so.
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