| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Europeans by Henry James: foreign lady, who had more manner than any lady--any dozen ladies--
that she had ever seen.
"I have heard a great deal about you," she said, softly, to the Baroness.
"From your son, eh?" Eugenia asked. "He has talked to me immensely
of you. Oh, he talks of you as you would like," the Baroness declared;
"as such a son must talk of such a mother!"
Mrs. Acton sat gazing; this was part of Madame Munster's "manner."
But Robert Acton was gazing too, in vivid consciousness that
he had barely mentioned his mother to their brilliant guest.
He never talked of this still maternal presence,--a presence
refined to such delicacy that it had almost resolved itself,
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Eryxias by Platonic Imitator: Greek or Roman writings, the one which anticipates in the most striking
manner the modern science of political economy and gives an abstract form
to some of its principal doctrines.
For the translation of these two dialogues I am indebted to my friend and
secretary, Mr. Knight.
That the Dialogue which goes by the name of the Second Alcibiades is a
genuine writing of Plato will not be maintained by any modern critic, and
was hardly believed by the ancients themselves. The dialectic is poor and
weak. There is no power over language, or beauty of style; and there is a
certain abruptness and agroikia in the conversation, which is very un-
Platonic. The best passage is probably that about the poets:--the remark
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen: "Why to Clarke?"
"Because I am sure that Clarke is in possession of
facts about this woman, facts of which I know nothing."
"Well, what then?"
Mr. Villiers leaned back in his chair and looked
reflectively at Austin for a moment before he answered:
"My idea was that Clarke and I should call on Mrs.
Beaumont."
"You would never go into such a house as that? No, no,
Villiers, you cannot do it. Besides, consider; what result..."
"I will tell you soon. But I was going to say that my
The Great God Pan |
