| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from A Book of Remarkable Criminals by H. B. Irving: certain every day that the real solution lay within the walls of
Professor Webster's laboratory. His attention had fixed itself
particularly on the lavatory at the foot of the stairs connecting
the upper and lower laboratories. This room he found to be
locked and the key, a large one, had disappeared. He recollected
that when the police officers had paid their visit to the col-
lege, the Professor had diverted their attention as they were
about to inspect this room. The only method by which, unknown to
the Professor and without breaking open the door, Littlefield
could examine the vault of this retiring room was by going down
to the basement floor of the college and digging a hole through
A Book of Remarkable Criminals |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Agesilaus by Xenophon: story, since, as I suppose, there is not one of his several
achievements but must finally resolve itself into that. For, to put it
briefly, we all know well that where Agesilaus expected in any way to
benefit his country there was no toil he shrank from, no danger he
avoided, no money he stinted, no excuse whether of age or body he
admitted, but deemed it ever the true function of a good king[2] to
shower blessings to the utmost on the subjects of his rule.
[1] Lit. "love for his own city."
[2] Or, "regarded it as the cardinal virtue of a real prince." See
"Mem." III. ii. 3.
And for my part I hold it as chief among the magnificent benefits so
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Thus Spake Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche: learned best of us all at present! Had they however no one to see them, I
wager that with them also the bad game would again commence,--
--The bad game of drifting clouds, of damp melancholy, of curtained
heavens, of stolen suns, of howling autumn-winds,
--The bad game of our howling and crying for help! Abide with us, O
Zarathustra! Here there is much concealed misery that wisheth to speak,
much evening, much cloud, much damp air!
Thou hast nourished us with strong food for men, and powerful proverbs: do
not let the weakly, womanly spirits attack us anew at dessert!
Thou alone makest the air around thee strong and clear! Did I ever find
anywhere on earth such good air as with thee in thy cave?
Thus Spake Zarathustra |
