| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia by Samuel Johnson: he has received."
"If men were all virtuous," returned the artist, "I should with
great alacrity teach them to fly. But what would be the security
of the good if the bad could at pleasure invade them from the sky?
Against an army sailing through the clouds neither walls,
mountains, nor seas could afford security. A flight of northern
savages might hover in the wind and light with irresistible
violence upon the capital of a fruitful reason. Even this valley,
the retreat of princes, the abode of happiness, might be violated
by the sudden descent of some of the naked nations that swarm on
the coast of the southern sea!"
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe: dark land, that he may bring out his sister, or mother, or wife.
One young man, of whom a missionary has told us, twice
re-captured, and suffering shameful stripes for his heroism, had
escaped again; and, in a letter which we heard read, tells his
friends that he is going back a third time, that he may, at last,
bring away his sister. My good sir, is this man a hero, or a
criminal? Would not you do as much for your sister? And can you
blame him?
But, to return to our friends, whom we left wiping their eyes,
and recovering themselves from too great and sudden a joy.
They are now seated around the social board, and are getting
Uncle Tom's Cabin |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Ivanhoe by Walter Scott: in some sort defend thee; since to protect a Jew
against a Saracen, can scarce be accounted unworthy
of a Christian. Therefore, Jew, I will see thee
safe under some fitting escort. We are now not
far from the town of Sheffield, where thou mayest
easily find many of thy tribe with whom to take
refuge.''
``The blessing of Jacob be upon thee, good
youth!'' said the Jew; ``in Sheffield I can harbour
with my kinsman Zareth, and find some means of
travelling forth with safety.''
Ivanhoe |
