| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Bride of Lammermoor by Walter Scott: therefore, to enter into conversation with Sir William Ashton,
with as much appearance of indifference as he could well command.
"You will not be surprised, Sir William, that I am
interested in the changes you have made for the better in this
apartment. In my father's time, after our misfortunes compelled
him to live in retirement, it was little used, except by me as a
play-room, when the weather would not permit me to go abroad. In
that recess was my little workshop, where I treasured the few
carpenters' tools which old Caleb procured for me, and taught me
how to use; there, in yonder corner, under that handsome silver
sconce, I kept my fishing-rods and hunting poles, bows and
 The Bride of Lammermoor |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Golden Sayings of Epictetus by Epictetus: that from God have descended the germs of life, not to my father
only and father's father, but to all things that are born and
grow upon the earth, and in an especial manner to those endowed
with Reason (for those only are by their nature fitted to hold
communion with God, being by means of Reason conjoined with Him)
--why should not such an one call himself a citizen of the world?
Why not a son of God? Why should he fear aught that comes to pass
among men? Shall kinship with Caesar, or any other of the great
at Rome, be enough to hedge men around with safety and
consideration, without a thought of apprehension: while to have
God for our Maker, and Father, and Kinsman, shall not this set us
 The Golden Sayings of Epictetus |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Crisis in Russia by Arthur Ransome: I listened, this point, which might seem of minor importance,
completely overshadowed the question of industrial conscription
which, at least inside the Communist Party, seemed generally
taken for granted. It may be taken now as certain
that the majority of the Communists are in favor of
individual control. They say that the object of "workers'
control" before the revolution was to ensure that factories
should be run in the interests of workers as well of
employers. In Russia now there are no employers other
than the State as a whole, which is exclusively made
up of employees. (I am stating now the view of the
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