| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Montezuma's Daughter by H. Rider Haggard: vast wealth, by hundreds of lovely wives, by loving children, by
countless armies, by all the glory of the arts, ruling over the
fairest empire on the earth, with every pleasure to his hand, a god
in all things save his mortality, and worshipped as a god, and yet
a victim to fear and superstition, and more heavy hearted than the
meanest slave about his palaces. Here was a lesson such as Solomon
would have loved to show, for with Solomon this Montezuma might
cry:
'I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of
kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers,
and the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments, and
Montezuma's Daughter |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Agesilaus by Xenophon: of war; so that an onlooker might have thought the city of Ephesus
itself a gigantic arsenal. It would have kindled courage in the breast
of a coward to see the long lines of soldiers, with Agesilaus at their
head, all garlanded as they marched in proud procession from the
gymnasiums and dedicated their wreaths to our Lady Artemis. Since,
where these three elements exist--reverence towards heaven, practice
in military affairs, and obedience to command--all else must needs be
full of happy promise.
But seeing that contempt for the foe is calculated to infuse a certain
strength in face of battle, he ordered his criers to strip naked the
barbarians captured by his foraging parties, and so to sell them. The
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Rescue by Joseph Conrad: bright light of hopes but in the deepened shadow of doubt. He
wanted to obtain information for his friend who was so powerful
and who perhaps would know how to be constant. When followed by
Immada he approached the camp again--this time openly--their
appearance did not excite much surprise. It was well known to the
Chiefs of the Illanuns that the Rajah for whom they were to
fight--if God so willed --was upon the shoals looking out for the
coming of the white man who had much wealth and a store of
weapons and who was his servant. Daman, who alone understood the
exact relation, welcomed them with impenetrable gravity. Hassim
took his seat on the carpet at his right hand. A consultation was
The Rescue |
