| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Polity of Athenians and Lacedaemonians by Xenophon: finished their repasts."
[7] See Aristot. "Pol." ii. 9 (Jowett, i. pp. xlii. and 52); Muller,
"Dorians," iii. 10, 1 (vol. ii. 197, Eng. tr.)
VII
There are yet other customs in Sparta which Lycurgus instituted in
opposition to those of the rest of Hellas, and the following among
them. We all know that in the generality of states every one devotes
his full energy to the business of making money: one man as a tiller
of the soil, another as a mariner, a third as a merchant, whilst
others depend on various arts to earn a living. But at Sparta Lycurgus
forbade his freeborn citizens to have anything whatsoever to do with
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Two Brothers by Honore de Balzac: conception of life, the universe began at his head and ended at his
feet, and the sun shone for him alone. The things he had seen in New
York, interpreted by his practical nature, carried away his last
scruples on the score of morality. For such beings, there are but two
ways of existence. Either they believe, or they do not believe; they
have the virtues of honest men, or they give themselves up to the
demands of necessity; in which case they proceed to turn their
slightest interests and each passing impulse of their passions into
necessities.
Such a system of life carries a man a long way. It was only in
appearance that Colonel Philippe retained the frankness, plain-
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde: with the plank on his shoulder, and the big basket in his hand.
"'Good-bye,' said little Hans, and he began to dig away quite
merrily, he was so pleased about the wheelbarrow.
"The next day he was nailing up some honeysuckle against the porch,
when he heard the Miller's voice calling to him from the road. So
he jumped off the ladder, and ran down the garden, and looked over
the wall.
"There was the Miller with a large sack of flour on his back.
"'Dear little Hans,' said the Miller, 'would you mind carrying this
sack of flour for me to market?'
"'Oh, I am so sorry,' said Hans, 'but I am really very busy to-day.
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