| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Lucile by Owen Meredith: Unwitness'd, at once fell dejected, and dreary,
As a curtain let fall by a hand that's grown weary,
Into puckers and folds. From his lips, unrepress'd,
Steals th' impatient sigh which reveals in man's breast
A conflict conceal'd, and experience at strife
With itself,--the vex'd heart's passing protest on life.
He turn'd to his papers. He heard the light tread
Of a faint foot behind him: and, lifting his head,
Said, "Sit, Holy Sister! your worth is well known
To the hearts of our soldiers; nor less to my own.
I have much wish'd to see you. I owe you some thanks;
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Lily of the Valley by Honore de Balzac: of the religious atmosphere of the hour, which softened the voices of
the children and wafted them towards us, desire crept through my veins
like the match to the bonfire. After three months of repression I was
unable to content myself with the fate assigned me. I took Henriette's
hand and softly caressed it, trying to convey to her the ardor that
invaded me. She became at once Madame de Mortsauf, and withdrew her
hand; tears rolled from my eyes, she saw them and gave me a chilling
look, as she offered her hand to my lips.
"You must know," she said, "that this will cause me grief. A
friendship that asks so great a favor is dangerous."
Then I lost my self-control; I reproached her, I spoke of my
The Lily of the Valley |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Ivanhoe by Walter Scott: a Jewess.---Our union were contrary to the laws,
alike of the church and the synagogue.''
``It were so, indeed,'' replied the Templar, laughing;
``wed with a Jewess? _Despardieux!_---Not
if she were the Queen of Sheba! And know, besides,
sweet daughter of Zion, that were the most
Christian king to offer me his most Christian
daughter, with Languedoc for a dowery, I could not
wed her. It is against my vow to love any maiden,
otherwise than _par amours_, as I will love thee. I
am a Templar. Behold the cross of my Holy Order.''
Ivanhoe |
