| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Apology by Xenophon: exhibit the soundest wisdom rather than their own relations. And is it
not the case that, in your choice of generals, you set your fathers
and brothers, and, bless me! your own selves aside, by comparison with
those whom you believe to be the wisest authorities on military
matters?"
"No doubt, Socrates," replied Meletus, "because it is expedient and
customary so to do."
"Well then," rejoined Socrates, "does it not strike even you, Meletus,
as wonderful when in all ordinary concerns the best people should
obtain, I do not say only an equal share, but an exclusive preference;
but in my case, simply because I am selected by certain people as an
The Apology |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Illustrious Gaudissart by Honore de Balzac: of its swaddling-clothes, showed him the dark holes of the business,
taught him its dialect, took the mechanism apart bit by bit, dissected
for his instruction the particular public he was expected to gull,
crammed him with phrases, fed him with impromptu replies, provisioned
him with unanswerable arguments, and, so to speak, sharpened the file
of the tongue which was about to operate upon the life of France.
The puppet amply rewarded the pains bestowed upon him. The heads of
the company boasted of the illustrious Gaudissart, showed him such
attention and proclaimed the great talents of this perambulating
prospectus so loudly in the sphere of exalted banking and commercial
diplomacy, that the financial managers of two newspapers (celebrated
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare: will giue me occasion
Mercu. Could you not take some occasion without
giuing?
Tib. Mercutio thou consort'st with Romeo
Mer. Consort? what dost thou make vs Minstrels? &
thou make Minstrels of vs, looke to heare nothing but discords:
heere's my fiddlesticke, heere's that shall make you
daunce. Come consort
Ben. We talke here in the publike haunt of men,
Either withdraw vnto some priuate place,
Or reason coldly of your greeuances:
Romeo and Juliet |
