| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Lesser Hippias by Plato: involuntary, is obliged to confess that he is wandering about in the same
labyrinth; he makes the reflection on himself which others would make upon
him (compare Protagoras). He does not wonder that he should be in a
difficulty, but he wonders at Hippias, and he becomes sensible of the
gravity of the situation, when ordinary men like himself can no longer go
to the wise and be taught by them.
It may be remarked as bearing on the genuineness of this dialogue: (1)
that the manners of the speakers are less subtle and refined than in the
other dialogues of Plato; (2) that the sophistry of Socrates is more
palpable and unblushing, and also more unmeaning; (3) that many turns of
thought and style are found in it which appear also in the other
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Lady Baltimore by Owen Wister: satisfactorily established--that one person should not know that John
Mayrant broke that engagement." And I told her the whole of it. "If I'm
outrageous to share this secret with you," I concluded, "I can only say
that I couldn't stand the unfairness any longer."
"He jumped straight in?" said Eliza.
"Oh, straight!"
"Of course," she murmured.
"And just after declaring that he wouldn't."
"Of course," she murmured again. "And the current took them right away?"
"Instantly."
"Was he very tired when you got to him?"
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Marie by H. Rider Haggard: assegai, came up to me and whispered:
"Hearken, little Son of George. The king would save you, if he can,
because you are not Dutch, but English. Yet, know that if you try to
cry out, if you even struggle, you die," and he lifted the assegai so as
to be ready to plunge it through my heart.
Now I understood, and a cold sweat broke out all over me. My companions
were to be murdered, every one! Oh! gladly would I have given my life
to warn them. But alas! I could not, for the cloth upon my mouth was so
thick that no sound could pass it.
One of the Zulus inserted a stick between the reeds of the fence.
Working it to and fro sideways, he made an opening just in a line with
Marie |
