| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Laches by Plato: tell you my own opinion, and if I am wrong you shall set me right: in my
opinion the terrible and the hopeful are the things which do or do not
create fear, and fear is not of the present, nor of the past, but is of
future and expected evil. Do you not agree to that, Laches?
LACHES: Yes, Socrates, entirely.
SOCRATES: That is my view, Nicias; the terrible things, as I should say,
are the evils which are future; and the hopeful are the good or not evil
things which are future. Do you or do you not agree with me?
NICIAS: I agree.
SOCRATES: And the knowledge of these things you call courage?
NICIAS: Precisely.
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from In a German Pension by Katherine Mansfield: beside her laughing, too. They were together in the little warm room
stealing Herr Lehmann's wood. It seemed the most exciting adventure in the
world. She wanted to go on laughing--or burst out crying--or--or--catch
hold of the Young Man.
"What a fire," she shrieked, stretching out her hands.
"Here's a hand; pull up," said the Young Man. "There, now, you'll catch it
to-morrow."
They stood opposite to each other, hands still clinging. And again that
strange tremor thrilled Sabina.
"Look here," he said roughly, "are you a child, or are you playing at being
one?"
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Plutarch's Lives by A. H. Clough: Lucullus, when he returned out of Asia, where he had been
treated with insult by Pompey, was received by the senate with
great honor, which was yet increased when Pompey came home; to
check whose ambition they encouraged him to assume the
administration of the government, whereas he was now grown cold
and disinclined to business, having given himself over to the
pleasures of ease and the enjoyment of a splendid fortune.
However, he began for the time to exert himself against Pompey,
attacked him sharply, and succeeded in having his own acts and
decrees, which were repealed by Pompey, reestablished, and with
the assistance of Cato, gained the superiority in the senate.
|
