| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli: loving Lorenzo. Savonarola's influence upon the young Machiavelli must
have been slight, for although at one time he wielded immense power
over the fortunes of Florence, he only furnished Machiavelli with a
subject of a gibe in "The Prince," where he is cited as an example of
an unarmed prophet who came to a bad end. Whereas the magnificence of
the Medicean rule during the life of Lorenzo appeared to have
impressed Machiavelli strongly, for he frequently recurs to it in his
writings, and it is to Lorenzo's grandson that he dedicates "The
Prince."
Machiavelli, in his "History of Florence," gives us a picture of the
young men among whom his youth was passed. He writes: "They were freer
The Prince |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare: So shall no foot vpon the Churchyard tread,
Being loose, vnfirme with digging vp of Graues,
But thou shalt heare it: whistle then to me,
As signall that thou hearest some thing approach,
Giue me those flowers. Do as I bid thee, go
Page. I am almost afraid to stand alone
Here in the Churchyard, yet I will aduenture
Pa. Sweet Flower with flowers thy Bridall bed I strew:
O woe, thy Canopie is dust and stones,
Which with sweet water nightly I will dewe,
Or wanting that, with teares destil'd by mones;
Romeo and Juliet |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Red Seal by Natalie Sumner Lincoln: checks and inserting my name to them?"
"I do," calmly. "I am not familiar with your signature, Kent, but
that Rochester wrote the body of those four checks and put his own
signature at the bottom I will swear to in any court of law. To
make them valid he had to add your name."
"But, d-mn it, man!" Kent stared in bewilderment at his three
companions. "Rochester was honorable and straight-forward -"
"And addicted to drink," put in Harding. "But not a forger,"
retorted Kent firmly. Harding's only rejoinder was a skeptical
smile as he turned to address Clymer.
"So Rochester not only has taken his own money, but withdrawn that
The Red Seal |
