| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Phaedo by Plato: by reason of, two; but would say by, and by reason of, number; or you would
say that two cubits exceed one cubit not by a half, but by magnitude?-for
there is the same liability to error in all these cases.
Very true, he said.
Again, would you not be cautious of affirming that the addition of one to
one, or the division of one, is the cause of two? And you would loudly
asseverate that you know of no way in which anything comes into existence
except by participation in its own proper essence, and consequently, as far
as you know, the only cause of two is the participation in duality--this is
the way to make two, and the participation in one is the way to make one.
You would say: I will let alone puzzles of division and addition--wiser
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Within the Tides by Joseph Conrad: heard a shrill shriek which pierced his very soul.
"The light was still burning in the house. Davidson, revolver in
hand, was making for it when another shriek, away to his left, made
him change his direction.
"He changed his direction - but very soon he stopped. It was then
that he hesitated in cruel perplexity. He guessed what had
happened. The woman had managed to escape from the house in some
way, and now was being chased in the open by the infuriated
Frenchman. He trusted she would try to run on board for
protection.
"All was still around Davidson. Whether she had run on board or
Within the Tides |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Black Dwarf by Walter Scott: Reiver of Westburnflat was before him. Like Banquo's murderer,
there was blood on his face, as well as upon the rowels of his
spurs and the sides of his over-ridden horse.
"How now, ruffian!" demanded the Dwarf, "is thy job chared?"
"Ay, ay, doubt not that, Elshie," answered the freebooter; "When
I ride, my foes may moan. They have had mair light than comfort
at the Heugh-foot this morning; there's a toom byre and a wide,
and a wail and a cry for the bonny bride."
"The bride?"
"Ay; Charlie Cheat-the-Woodie, as we ca' him, that's Charlie
Foster of Tinning Beck, has promised to keep her in Cumberland
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