| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Cratylus by Plato: offered. There is also another reading--osia, which implies that 'pushing'
(othoun) is the first principle of all things. And here I seem to discover
a delicate allusion to the flux of Heracleitus--that antediluvian
philosopher who cannot walk twice in the same stream; and this flux of his
may accomplish yet greater marvels. For the names Cronos and Rhea cannot
have been accidental; the giver of them must have known something about the
doctrine of Heracleitus. Moreover, there is a remarkable coincidence in
the words of Hesiod, when he speaks of Oceanus, 'the origin of Gods;' and
in the verse of Orpheus, in which he describes Oceanus espousing his sister
Tethys. Tethys is nothing more than the name of a spring--to diattomenon
kai ethoumenon. Poseidon is posidesmos, the chain of the feet, because you
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Daisy Miller by Henry James: Then he asked her if she should not be more comfortable in sitting
upon the bench which he had just quitted. She answered that she
liked standing up and walking about; but she presently sat down.
She told him she was from New York State--"if you know where that is."
Winterbourne learned more about her by catching hold of her small,
slippery brother and making him stand a few minutes by his side.
"Tell me your name, my boy," he said.
"Randolph C. Miller," said the boy sharply. "And I'll tell you her name";
and he leveled his alpenstock at his sister.
"You had better wait till you are asked!" said this young lady calmly.
"I should like very much to know your name," said Winterbourne.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Dracula by Bram Stoker: "I shall not wait for any opportunity," said Morris. "When I see the box
I shall open it and destroy the monster, though there were a thousand
men looking on, and if I am to be wiped out for it the next moment!"
I grasped his hand instinctively and found it as firm as a piece of steel.
I think he understood my look. I hope he did.
"Good boy," said Dr. Van Helsing. "Brave boy. Quincey is all man.
God bless him for it. My child, believe me none of us shall lag
behind or pause from any fear. I do but say what we may do.
. .what we must do. But, indeed, indeed we cannot say
what we may do. There are so many things which may happen,
and their ways and their ends are so various that until
Dracula |
