| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Crito by Plato: whatever the reason may be which upon reflection appears to me to be the
best; and now that this chance has befallen me, I cannot repudiate my own
words: the principles which I have hitherto honoured and revered I still
honour, and unless we can at once find other and better principles, I am
certain not to agree with you; no, not even if the power of the multitude
could inflict many more imprisonments, confiscations, deaths, frightening
us like children with hobgoblin terrors (compare Apol.). What will be the
fairest way of considering the question? Shall I return to your old
argument about the opinions of men?--we were saying that some of them are
to be regarded, and others not. Now were we right in maintaining this
before I was condemned? And has the argument which was once good now
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Poems of Goethe, Bowring, Tr. by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Have maids, whom to scold;
Choose clothes at our ease,
Of what tradesmen we please;
Walk freely about,
And go to each rout,
And unrestrained are
By papa or mamma.
1767-9.
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MOTIVES.
IF to a girl who loves us truly
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Virginian by Owen Wister: laigs," said he, "you are used to the saddle."
"I'd be called used to it, I expect."
"By your hands," said the Southerner, again, "you ain't roped
many steers lately. Been cookin' or something?"
"Say," retorted Scipio, "tell my future some now. Draw a
conclusion from my mouth."
"I'm right distressed," unsevered the gentle Southerner, "we've
not a drop in the outfit."
"Oh, drink with me uptown!" cried Scipio "I'm pleased to death
with yu'."
The Virginian glanced where the saloons stood just behind the
 The Virginian |