| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from On Revenues by Xenophon: been subjected during the present war, you will not be equal to any
further contributions at present,[47] what you should do is this:[48]
during the current year resolve to carry on the financial
administration of the state within the limits of a sum equivalent to
that which your dues[49] realised before the peace. That done, you are
at liberty to take any surplus sum, whether directly traceable to the
peace itself, or to the more courteous treatment of our resident
aliens and traders, or to the growth of the imports and exports,
coincident with the collecting together of larger masses of human
beings, or to an augmentation of harbour[50] and market dues: this
surplus, I say, however derived, you should take and invest[51] so as
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen: from amongst those who had formed their establishment
at Norland.
The man and one of the maids were sent off immediately
into Devonshire, to prepare the house for their mistress's
arrival; for as Lady Middleton was entirely unknown
to Mrs. Dashwood, she preferred going directly to the
cottage to being a visitor at Barton Park; and she relied
so undoubtingly on Sir John's description of the house,
as to feel no curiosity to examine it herself till she
entered it as her own. Her eagerness to be gone from Norland
was preserved from diminution by the evident satisfaction
Sense and Sensibility |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac: to express a deep and sincere affection, communicates to others
the influence that has put resonance into the voice, and
eloquence into every gesture, wrought a change in the very
features of the speaker; for under the inspiration of passion the
stupidest human being attains to the highest eloquence of ideas,
if not of language, and seems to move in some sphere of light. In
the old man's tones and gesture there was something just then of
the same spell that a great actor exerts over his audience. But
does not the poet in us find expression in our affections?
"Well," said Eugene, "perhaps you will not be sorry to hear that
she is pretty sure to break with de Marsay before long. That
Father Goriot |
