| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Republic by Plato: change of nature. And as in animals we should commonly choose the best for
breeding, and destroy the others, so there must be a selection made of the
human beings whose lives are worthy to be preserved.
We start back horrified from this Platonic ideal, in the belief, first,
that the higher feelings of humanity are far too strong to be crushed out;
secondly, that if the plan could be carried into execution we should be
poorly recompensed by improvements in the breed for the loss of the best
things in life. The greatest regard for the weakest and meanest of human
beings--the infant, the criminal, the insane, the idiot, truly seems to us
one of the noblest results of Christianity. We have learned, though as yet
imperfectly, that the individual man has an endless value in the sight of
The Republic |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland by Olive Schreiner: the fires had been made, round which warm ashes yet lay.
Only under the little stunted tree, the Colonial and the Englishman were
piling up stones. Their horses stood saddled close by.
Presently the large trooper came riding back. He had been sent by the
Captain to ask what they were fooling behind for, and to tell them to come
on.
The men mounted their horses to follow him; but the Englishman turned in
his saddle and looked back. The morning sun was lighting up the straggling
branches of the tall trees that had overshadowed the camp; and fell on the
little stunted tree, with its white stem and outstretched arms; and on the
stones beneath it.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from King Henry VI by William Shakespeare: That for a toy, a thing of no regard,
King Henry's peers and chief nobility
Destroy'd themselves and lost the realm of France
O, think upon the conquest of my father,
My tender years; and let us not forgo
That for a trifle that was bought with blood!
Let me be umpire in this doubtful strife.
I see no reason, if I wear this rose,
[Putting on a red rose.]
That any one should therefore be suspicious
I more incline to Somerset than York:
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