| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Charmides by Plato: caught a sight of the inwards of his garment, and took the flame. Then I
could no longer contain myself. I thought how well Cydias understood the
nature of love, when, in speaking of a fair youth, he warns some one 'not
to bring the fawn in the sight of the lion to be devoured by him,' for I
felt that I had been overcome by a sort of wild-beast appetite. But I
controlled myself, and when he asked me if I knew the cure of the headache,
I answered, but with an effort, that I did know.
And what is it? he said.
I replied that it was a kind of leaf, which required to be accompanied by a
charm, and if a person would repeat the charm at the same time that he used
the cure, he would be made whole; but that without the charm the leaf would
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Divine Comedy (translated by H.F. Cary) by Dante Alighieri: "Lady! what I have need of, that thou know'st,
And what will suit my need." She answering thus:
"Of fearfulness and shame, I will, that thou
Henceforth do rid thee: that thou speak no more,
As one who dreams. Thus far be taught of me:
The vessel, which thou saw'st the serpent break,
Was and is not: let him, who hath the blame,
Hope not to scare God's vengeance with a sop.
Without an heir for ever shall not be
That eagle, he, who left the chariot plum'd,
Which monster made it first and next a prey.
The Divine Comedy (translated by H.F. Cary) |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Black Dwarf by Walter Scott: virtue of her who calls thee father, go hence, and may the pardon
and benefits I confer on thee prove literal coals of fire, till
thy brain is seared and scorched like mine!"
Ellieslaw left the chapel with a gesture of mute despair.
"Follow him, Hubert Ratcliffe," said the Dwarf, "and inform him
of his destiny. He will rejoice--for to breathe air and to
handle gold is to him happiness,"
"I understand nothing of all this," said Sir Frederick Langley;
"but we are here a body of gentlemen in arms and authority for
King James; and whether you really, sir, be that Sir Edward
Mauley, who has been so long supposed dead in confinement, or
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