| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from A treatise on Good Works by Dr. Martin Luther: been proposed, namely, at Constance, Basel and the last Roman
Council; but nothing has been accomplished, and things have grown
ever worse, Moreover, such councils are entirely useless, since
Roman wisdom has contrived the device that the kings and princes
must beforehand take an oath to let the Romans remain what they
are and keep what they have, and so has put up a bar to ward off
all reformation, to retain protection and liberty for all their
knavery, although this oath is demanded, forced and taken
contrary to God and the law, and by it the doors are locked
against the Holy Spirit, Who should rule the councils. But this
would be the best, and also the only remedy remaining, if kings,
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Economist by Xenophon: [6] "Help to swell the bulk" (Holden). For the custom see Virg.
"Georg." i. 84; J. Tull, op. cit. ix. 141: "The custom of burning
the stubble on the rich plains about Rome continues to this time."
Isch. There, Socrates, you are detected "in the very act"; you know as
much about reaping as I do myself.
It looks a little like it (I replied). But I would fain discover
whether I have sound knowledge also about threshing.
Isch. Well, I suppose you are aware of this much: corn is threshed by
beasts of burthen?[7]
[7] Holden cf. Dr. Davy, "Notes and Observations on the Ionian
Islands." "The grain is beaten out, commonly in the harvest field,
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: heard no voices inside. Not a sound reached me while the door
remained shut; but in a few seconds it came open again and Rose
stood aside to let me pass.
Then I heard something: Dona Rita's voice raised a little on an
impatient note (a very, very rare thing) finishing some phrase of
protest with the words " . . . Of no consequence."
I heard them as I would have heard any other words, for she had
that kind of voice which carries a long distance. But the maid's
statement occupied all my mind. "Madame n'est pas heureuse." It
had a dreadful precision . . . "Not happy . . ." This unhappiness
had almost a concrete form - something resembling a horrid bat. I
The Arrow of Gold |
