| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: expelled him, since he was there before my eyes. But how and why
did he get so far from the scene of his sea adventure was an
interesting question. And I put it to him with most naive
indiscretion which did not shock him visibly. He told me that the
ship being only stranded, not sunk, the contraband cargo aboard was
doubtless in good condition. The French custom-house men were
guarding the wreck. If their vigilance could be - h'm - removed by
some means, or even merely reduced, a lot of these rifles and
cartridges could be taken off quietly at night by certain Spanish
fishing boats. In fact, salved for the Carlists, after all. He
thought it could be done. . . .
The Arrow of Gold |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Battle of the Books by Jonathan Swift: the good old custom of deities, she cast about to change her shape,
for fear the divinity of her countenance might dazzle his mortal
sight and overcharge the rest of his senses. She therefore
gathered up her person into an octavo compass: her body grow white
and arid, and split in pieces with dryness; the thick turned into
pasteboard, and the thin into paper; upon which her parents and
children artfully strewed a black juice, or decoction of gall and
soot, in form of letters: her head, and voice, and spleen, kept
their primitive form; and that which before was a cover of skin did
still continue so. In this guise she marched on towards the
Moderns, indistinguishable in shape and dress from the divine
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from A Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: No. I
The scarcity of my late friend's poem may be an excuse for adding
the spirited conclusion of Clan Alpin's vow. The Clan Gregor has
met in the ancient church of Balquidder. The head of Drummond-
Ernoch is placed on the altar, covered for a time with the banner
of the tribe. The Chief of the tribe advances to the altar:
And pausing, on the banner gazed;
Then cried in scorn, his finger raised,
"This was the boon of Scotland's king;"
And, with a quick and angry fling,
Tossing the pageant screen away,
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