| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Theaetetus by Plato: rather of all mankind, when we say that every one thinks himself wiser than
other men in some things, and their inferior in others? In the hour of
danger, when they are in perils of war, or of the sea, or of sickness, do
they not look up to their commanders as if they were gods, and expect
salvation from them, only because they excel them in knowledge? Is not the
world full of men in their several employments, who are looking for
teachers and rulers of themselves and of the animals? and there are plenty
who think that they are able to teach and able to rule. Now, in all this
is implied that ignorance and wisdom exist among them, at least in their
own opinion.
THEODORUS: Certainly.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin: one, the metal you are in search of being the author's mind or
meaning, his words are as the rock which you have to crush and smelt
in order to get at it. And your pickaxes are your own care, wit,
and learning; your smelting furnace is your own thoughtful soul. Do
not hope to get at any good author's meaning without those tools and
that fire; often you will need sharpest, finest chiselling, and
patientest fusing, before you can gather one grain of the metal.
And, therefore, first of all, I tell you earnestly and
authoritatively (I KNOW I am right in this), you must get into the
habit of looking intensely at words, and assuring yourself of their
meaning, syllable by syllable--nay, letter by letter. For though it
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death by Patrick Henry: ***
These original Project Gutenberg Etexts will be compiled into a file
containing them all, in order to improve the content ratios of Etext
to header material.
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Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death
Patrick Henry, March 23, 1775.
No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities,
of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different
men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it
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