| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Lesser Hippias by Plato: transparent than in the undoubted dialogues of Plato. We know, too, that
Alcibiades was a favourite thesis, and that at least five or six dialogues
bearing this name passed current in antiquity, and are attributed to
contemporaries of Socrates and Plato. (1) In the entire absence of real
external evidence (for the catalogues of the Alexandrian librarians cannot
be regarded as trustworthy); and (2) in the absence of the highest marks
either of poetical or philosophical excellence; and (3) considering that we
have express testimony to the existence of contemporary writings bearing
the name of Alcibiades, we are compelled to suspend our judgment on the
genuineness of the extant dialogue.
Neither at this point, nor at any other, do we propose to draw an absolute
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Sarrasine by Honore de Balzac: "Enough!" said she, with an imperious gesture.
We remained for a moment in the most profound silence.
"Well?" I said at last.
"Ah!" she cried, rising and pacing the floor.
She came and looked me in the face, and said in an altered voice:
"You have disgusted me with life and passion for a long time to come.
Leaving monstrosities aside, are not all human sentiments dissolved
thus, by ghastly disillusionment? Children torture mothers by their
bad conduct, or their lack of affection. Wives are betrayed.
Mistresses are cast aside, abandoned. Talk of friendship! Is there
such a thing! I would turn pious to-morrow if I did not know that I
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Glinda of Oz by L. Frank Baum: paths at all in the direction they wished to follow. At
such times they crossed the fields, avoiding groups of
trees and fording the streams and rivulets whenever
they came to them. But finally they reached a broad
hillside closely covered with scrubby brush, through
which the wagon could not pass.
"It will be difficult even for you and me to get
through without tearing our dresses," said Ozma, "so we
must leave the Sawhorse and the Wagon here until our
return."
"That's all right," Dorothy replied, "I'm tired
Glinda of Oz |
