| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Cavalry General by Xenophon: the forefront of the blade[6] is strong and tempered, and the momentum
at the back is sufficient.
[3] See "Revenues," iv. 30.
[4] Decadarchs, lit. commanders of ten, a "file" consisting normally
(or ideally) of ten men. Cf. "Cyrop. II. ii. 30; VIII. i. 14. It
will be borne in mind that a body of cavalry would, as a rule, be
drawn up in battle line at least four deep (see "Hell." III. iv.
13), and frequently much deeper. (The Persian cavalry in the
engagement just referred to were twelve deep.)
[5] See "Cyrop." III. iii. 41, 57; VI. iii. 24, 27; VII. i. 15; "Pol.
Lac." xi. 5. These front-rank men would seem to correspond to our
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce: LAND, n. A part of the earth's surface, considered as property. The
theory that land is property subject to private ownership and control
is the foundation of modern society, and is eminently worthy of the
superstructure. Carried to its logical conclusion, it means that some
have the right to prevent others from living; for the right to own
implies the right exclusively to occupy; and in fact laws of trespass
are enacted wherever property in land is recognized. It follows that
if the whole area of _terra firma_ is owned by A, B and C, there will
be no place for D, E, F and G to be born, or, born as trespassers, to
exist.
A life on the ocean wave,
The Devil's Dictionary |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe: was it but a hue-and-cry after three highwaymen that had
robbed two coaches and some other travellers near Dunstable
Hill, and notice had, it seems, been given that they had been
seen at Brickhill at such a house, meaning the house where
those gentlemen had been.
The house was immediately beset and searched, but there were
witnesses enough that the gentlemen had been gone over three
hours. The crowd having gathered about, we had the news
presently; and I was heartily concerned now another way. I
presently told the people of the house, that I durst to say those
were not the persons, for that I knew one of the gentlemen to
Moll Flanders |
