| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from On the Duty of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau: whole society requires it, that it, so long as the established
government cannot be resisted or changed without public
inconveniencey, it is the will of God. . .that the
established government be obeyed--and no longer. This
principle being admitted, the justice of every particular
case of resistance is reduced to a computation of the
quantity of the danger and grievance on the one side, and of
the probability and expense of redressing it on the other."
Of this, he says, every man shall judge for himself.
But Paley appears never to have contemplated those cases
to which the rule of expediency does not apply, in which
On the Duty of Civil Disobedience |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from An International Episode by Henry James: that you English sometimes make the most wonderful speeches?
The first time I came to London I went out to dine--as I told you,
I have received a great deal of attention. After dinner,
in the drawing room, I had some conversation with an old lady;
I assure you I had. I forget what we talked about, but she
presently said, in allusion to something we were discussing,
'Oh, you know, the aristocracy do so-and-so; but in one's own
class of life it is very different.' In one's own class of life!
What is a poor unprotected American woman to do in a country
where she is liable to have that sort of thing said to her?"
"You seem to get hold of some very queer old ladies;
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne: they were passing within good range of the mouth of the Mercy, two balls
saluted them, and two more of their number were laid in the bottom of the
boat. Neb and Spilett had not missed their aim.
The brig immediately sent a second ball on the post betrayed by the
smoke, but without any other result than that of splintering the rock.
The boat now contained only three able men. Carried on by the current, it
shot through the channel with the rapidity of an arrow, passed before
Harding and Herbert, who, not thinking it within range, withheld their
fire, then, rounding the northern point of the islet with the two remaining
oars, they pulled towards the brig.
Hitherto the settlers had nothing to complain of. Their adversaries had
The Mysterious Island |
