| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Four Arthurian Romances by Chretien DeTroyes: leave, for he wished to visit his own country, and he wished to
take his wife with him. This request the King could not deny,
and yet he would have had him stay. He gives him leave and begs
him to return as soon as possible: for in the whole court there
was no better or more gallant knight, save only his dear nephew
Gawain; (25) with him no one could be compared. But next after
him, he prized Erec most, and held him more dear than any other
knight.
(Vv. 2293-2764.) Erec wished to delay no longer. As soon as he
had the King's leave, he bid his wife make her preparations, and
he retained as his escort sixty knights of merit with horses and
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Purse by Honore de Balzac: idle fancy recalled vividly, bit by bit, the details of the scene
that had ensued on his fainting fit. The young girl's profile was
clearly projected against the darkness of his inward vision; he
saw once more the mother's faded features, or he felt the touch
of Adelaide's hands. He remembered some gesture which at first
had not greatly struck him, but whose exquisite grace was thrown
into relief by memory; then an attitude, or the tones of a
melodious voice, enhanced by the distance of remembrance,
suddenly rose before him, as objects plunging to the bottom of
deep waters come back to the surface.
So, on the day when he could resume work, he went early to his
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Prince Otto by Robert Louis Stevenson: grating, into the ample air and sunshine of the morning, and among
the terraces and flower-beds of the garden. They crossed the fish-
pond, where the carp were leaping as thick as bees; they mounted,
one after another, the various flights of stairs, snowed upon, as
they went, with April blossoms, and marching in time to the great
orchestra of birds. Nor did Otto pause till they had reached the
highest terrace of the garden. Here was a gate into the park, and
hard by, under a tuft of laurel, a marble garden seat. Hence they
looked down on the green tops of many elm-trees, where the rooks
were busy; and, beyond that, upon the palace roof, and the yellow
banner flying in the blue. I pray you to be seated, sir,' said
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