| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Flower Fables by Louisa May Alcott: who nodded gayly to him, and in sweet colors strove to tell him
of the good little Spirit, who toiled so faithfully below,
that they might live. And when he turned from the brightness without,
to his stately palace, it seemcd so cold and dreary, that he folded
Violet's mantle round him, and sat beneath the faded wreath upon his
ice-carved throne, wondering at the strange warmth that came from it;
till at length he bade his Spirits bring the little Fairy from
her dismal prison.
Soon they came hastening back, and prayed him to come and see
how lovely the dark cell had grown. The rough floor was spread
with deep green moss, and over wall and roof grew flowery vines,
Flower Fables |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Alcibiades II by Platonic Imitator: strange to you, if you will consider it? (The reading is here uncertain.)
ALCIBIADES: What is that, Socrates?
SOCRATES: It may be, in short, that the possession of all the sciences, if
unaccompanied by the knowledge of the best, will more often than not injure
the possessor. Consider the matter thus:--Must we not, when we intend
either to do or say anything, suppose that we know or ought to know that
which we propose so confidently to do or say?
ALCIBIADES: Yes, in my opinion.
SOCRATES: We may take the orators for an example, who from time to time
advise us about war and peace, or the building of walls and the
construction of harbours, whether they understand the business in hand, or
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Bickerstaff-Partridge Papers by Jonathan Swift: others or myself: and I think it is no very unreasonable request,
that men would please to suspend their judgments till then. I was
once of the opinion with those who despise all predictions from
the stars, till the year 1686, a man of quality shew'd me,
written in his album, That the most learned astronomer, Captain
H. assured him, he would never believe any thing of the stars'
influence, if there were not a great revolution in England in the
year 1688. Since that time I began to have other thoughts, and
after eighteen years diligent study and application, I think I
have no reason to repent of my pains. I shall detain the reader
no longer, than to let him know, that the account I design to
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