| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Soul of the Far East by Percival Lowell: interesting as a factor. For what it betokens of these peoples in
particular may suggest much about man generally. It may mark a
stride in theory, if a standstill in practice. Possibly it may help
us to some understanding of ourselves. Not that it promises much aid
to vexed metaphysical questions, but as a study in sociology it may
not prove so vain.
And for a thing which is always with us, its discussion may be said
to be peculiarly opportune just now. For it lies at the bottom of
the most pressing questions of the day. Of the two great problems
that stare the Western world in the face at the present moment, both
turn to it for solution. Agnosticism, the foreboding silence of
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Men of Iron by Howard Pyle: table with a tankard of spiced ale at his elbow, and a dish of
wafers and some fragments of cheese on a pewter platter before
him. He pointed to his clerk's seat--a joint stool somewhat like
a camp-chair, but made of heavy oaken braces and with a seat of
hog-skin--and bade Myles be seated.
It was the first time that Myles had ever heard of such courtesy
being extended to one of the company of squires, and, much
wondering, he obeyed the invitation, or rather command, and took
the seat.
The old knight sat regarding him for a while in silence, his one
eye, as bright and as steady as that of a hawk, looking keenly
Men of Iron |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Odyssey by Homer: hungry belly; this is an enemy which gives much trouble to all
men; it is because of this that ships are fitted out to sail the
seas, and to make war upon other people."
As they were thus talking, a dog that had been lying asleep
raised his head and pricked up his ears. This was Argos, whom
Ulysses had bred before setting out for Troy, but he had never
had any work out of him. In the old days he used to be taken out
by the young men when they went hunting wild goats, or deer, or
hares, but now that his master was gone he was lying neglected
on the heaps of mule and cow dung that lay in front of the
stable doors till the men should come and draw it away to manure
The Odyssey |
