| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Muse of the Department by Honore de Balzac: coolness. Then, after a brief meditation on this skilfully-planned
revenge, he thought it wise to return to his cell.
"He laid his outer clothes conspicuously on the bed, left the rope
outside to make it seem that he had fallen, and hid himself behind the
door to await the arrival of the treacherous turnkey, arming himself
with one of the iron bars he had filed out. The jailer, who returned
rather earlier than usual to secure the dead man's leavings, opened
the door, whistling as he came in; but when he was at arm's length,
Beauvoir hit him such a tremendous blow on the head that the wretch
fell in a heap without a cry; the bar had cracked his skull.
"The Chevalier hastily stripped him and put on his clothes, mimicked
The Muse of the Department |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Talisman by Walter Scott: enthusiasts, who devote their lives to the advancement of
religion---somewhat like Templars, only they are never known to
pause in the race of their calling."
"Jest not," answered the scowling monk. "Know that one of these
men has set down in his bloody vow the name of the Island Emperor
yonder, to be hewn down as the chief enemy of the Moslem faith."
"A most judicious paynim," said Conrade. "May Mohammed send him
his paradise for a reward!"
"He was taken in the camp by one of our squires, and in private
examination frankly avowed his fixed and determined purpose to
me," said the Grand Master.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley: "secured by distance, which one of more valor durst not do to their
face, for fear their fury fall upon him. Yet hitherto have I met
with none who could render a reason of their name. We call the
shavings of fish (which are little worth) gubbings; and sure it is
that they are sensible that the word importeth shame and disgrace.
"As for the suggestion of my worthy and learned friend, Mr. Joseph
Maynard, that such as did inhabitare montes gibberosos, were called
Gubbings, such will smile at the ingenuity who dissent from the
truth of the etymology.
"I have read of an England beyond Wales, but the Gubbings land is a
Scythia within England, and they pure heathens therein. It lieth
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