| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Memorabilia by Xenophon: it becomes troublesome and uncomfortable; but that which fits, having
its weight distributed partly along the collar-bone and shoulder-
blade, partly over the shoulders and chest, and partly the back and
belly, feels like another natural integument rather than an extra load
to carry.[13]
[13] Schneider ad loc. cf Eur. "Electr." 192, {prosthemata aglaias},
and for the weight cf. Aristoph. "Peace," 1224.
Pist. You have named the very quality which gives my work its
exceptional value, as I consider; still there are customers, I am
bound to say, who look for something else in a corselet--they must
have them ornamental or inlaid with gold.
 The Memorabilia |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Smalcald Articles by Dr. Martin Luther: an unknown sin should be remembered later [if the remembrance
of a concealed sin should perhaps return], this also must be
repented of and confessed etc. Meanwhile they were [the person
was] commended to the grace of God.
Moreover, since no one could know how great the contrition
ought to be in order to be sufficient before God, they gave
this consolation: He who could not have contrition, at least
ought to have attrition, which I may call half a contrition or
the beginning of contrition, for they have themselves
understood neither of these terms nor do they understand them
now, as little as I. Such attrition was reckoned as contrition
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Study of a Woman by Honore de Balzac: talent, and he hides it; he plays the learned man with aristocrats,
and the aristocrat with learned men. Eugene de Rastignac is one of
those extremely clever young men who try all things, and seem to sound
others to discover what the future has in store. While awaiting the
age of ambition, he scoffs at everything; he has grace and
originality, two rare qualities because the one is apt to exclude the
other. On this occasion he talked for nearly half an hour with madame
de Listomere, without any predetermined idea of pleasing her. As they
followed the caprices of conversation, which, beginning with the opera
of "Guillaume Tell," had reached the topic of the duties of women, he
looked at the marquise, more than once, in a manner that embarrassed
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