| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Modeste Mignon by Honore de Balzac: years of age, unable to decide on a satisfactory date. The
Cardinal d'Herouville flourished in the history of the Church at
least a century before the cardinal of whom we boast as our only
family glory,--for I take no account of lieutenant-generals, and
abbes who write trumpery little verses.
Moreover, I do not live in the magnificent villa Vilquin; there is
not in my veins, thank God, the ten-millionth of a drop of that
chilly blood which flows behind a counter. I come on one side from
Germany, on the other from the south of France; my mind has a
Teutonic love of reverie, my blood the vivacity of Provence. I am
noble on my father's and on my mother's side. On my mother's I
Modeste Mignon |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Meno by Plato: us. Health and strength, and beauty and wealth--these, and the like of
these, we call profitable?
MENO: True.
SOCRATES: And yet these things may also sometimes do us harm: would you
not think so?
MENO: Yes.
SOCRATES: And what is the guiding principle which makes them profitable or
the reverse? Are they not profitable when they are rightly used, and
hurtful when they are not rightly used?
MENO: Certainly.
SOCRATES: Next, let us consider the goods of the soul: they are
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Koran: likeness was as the likeness of a dog, whom if thou shouldst attack he
hangs out his tongue, or if thou should leave him, hangs out his
tongue too. That is the likeness of the people who say our signs are
lies. Tell them then these tales- haply they may reflect.
Evil is the likeness of a people who say our signs are lies;
themselves it is they wrong!
We have created for hell many of the ginn and of mankind; they
have hearts and they discern not therewith; they have eyes and they
see not therewith; they have ears and they hear not therewith; they
are like cattle, nay, they go more astray! these it is who care not.
But God's are the good names; call on Him then thereby, and leave
The Koran |
