| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Manon Lescaut by Abbe Prevost: promised to meet him there, and who had, under some pretext or
other, refused a seat in his carriage. Although there was not a
single person in the party who was not at heart meditating
treachery, we all sat down with an air of mutual confidence and
friendship. G---- M---- easily found an opportunity of declaring
his sentiments to Manon. I did not wish to annoy him by
appearing vigilant, so I left the room purposely for several
minutes.
"I perceived on my return that he had not had to encounter any
very discouraging austerity on Manon's part, for he was in the
best possible spirits. I affected good humour also. He was
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne: a ride on my back."
At the first thought of such a thing, Europa drew back. But
then she considered in her wise little head that there could be
no possible harm in taking just one gallop on the back of this
docile and friendly animal, who would certainly set her down
the very instant she desired it. And how it would surprise her
brothers to see her riding across the green meadow! And what
merry times they might have, either taking turns for a gallop,
or clambering on the gentle creature, all four children
together, and careering round the field with shouts of laughter
that would be heard as far off as King Agenor's palace!
Tanglewood Tales |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Lord Arthur Savile's Crime, etc. by Oscar Wilde: don't think the point had ever been made before; but what followed
was still more curious, and seemed to me at the time to dispose
entirely of Pembroke's claim. We know from Meres that the Sonnets
had been written before 1598, and Sonnet CIV. informs us that
Shakespeare's friendship for Mr. W. H. had been already in
existence for three years. Now Lord Pembroke, who was born in
1580, did not come to London till he was eighteen years of age,
that is to say till 1598, and Shakespeare's acquaintance with Mr.
W. H. must have begun in 1594, or at the latest in 1595.
Shakespeare, accordingly, could not have known Lord Pembroke till
after the Sonnets had been written.
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