| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Eryxias by Platonic Imitator: which he must either learn from another or find out for himself?
Prodicus agreed to this also.
And when you pray to the Gods that you may do well and receive good, you
mean by your prayer nothing else than that you desire to become good and
wise:--if, at least, things are good to the good and wise and evil to the
evil. But in that case, if virtue is acquired by instruction, it would
appear that you only pray to be taught what you do not know.
Hereupon I said to Prodicus that it was no misfortune to him if he had been
proved to be in error in supposing that the Gods immediately granted to us
whatever we asked:--if, I added, whenever you go up to the Acropolis you
earnestly entreat the Gods to grant you good things, although you know not
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Amazing Interlude by Mary Roberts Rinehart: "I begin to realize how foolhardy the whole thing is. I meant well, but
- it is you who are doing everything; not I."
"I shall not make the soup, mademoiselle," he replied gravely.
VIII
Here were more things to do. Sara Lee's money must be exchanged at a
bank for French gold. She had three hundred dollars, and it had been
given her in a tiny brown canvas bag. And then there was the matter of
going from Calais toward the Front. She had expected to find a train,
but there were no trains. All cars were being used for troops. She
stared at Henri in blank dismay.
"No trains!" she said blankly. "Would an automobile be very expensive?"
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from On Horsemanship by Xenophon: description will turn out ugly or defective.
[33] Lit. "by testing the shape of the colt in this way it seems to us
the purchaser will get," etc.
[34] For the vulg. {eukhroastoi}, a doubtful word = "well coloured,"
i.e. "sleek and healthy," L. & S. would read {eukhrooi} (cf. "Pol.
Lac." v. 8). L. Dind. conj. {enrostoi}, "robust"; Schneid.
{eukhrestoi}, "serviceable."
II
The right method of breaking a colt needs no description at our
hands.[1] As a matter of state organisation,[2] cavalry duties usually
devolve upon those who are not stinted in means, and who have a
 On Horsemanship |