| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from On Horsemanship by Xenophon: what sort of knowledge the young creature is to be sent back possessed
of. These will serve as indications[6] to the trainer what points he
must pay special heed to if he is to earn his fee. At the same time
pains should be taken on the owner's part to see that the colt is
gentle, tractable, and affectionate,[7] when delivered to the
professional trainer. That is a condition of things which for the most
part may be brought about at home and by the groom--if he knows how to
let the animal connect[8] hunger and thirst and the annoyance of flies
with solitude, whilst associating food and drink and escape from
sources of irritation with the presence of man. As the result of this
treatment, necessarily the young horse will acquire--not fondness
On Horsemanship |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Works of Samuel Johnson by Samuel Johnson: who have long lived amidst the conveniences of a
town immensely populous, have scarce an idea of a
place where desire cannot be gratified by money.
In order to have a just sense of this artificial plenty,
it is necessary to have passed some time in a distant
colony, or those parts of our island which are thinly
inhabited: he that has once known how many trades
every man in such situations is compelled to
exercise, with how much labour the products of nature
must be accommodated to human use, how long
the loss or defect of any common utensil must be
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert: The porphyry basin still contained a little clear water for Salammbo's
ablutions. In spite of his repugnance and all his pride, the Suffet
dipped the child into it, and, like a slave merchant, began to wash
him and rub him with strigils and red earth. Then he took two purple
squares from the receptacles round the wall, placed one on his breast
and the other on his back, and joined them together on the collar
bones with two diamond clasps. He poured perfume upon his head, passed
an electrum necklace around his neck, and put on him sandals with
heels of pearl,--sandals belonging to his own daughter! But he stamped
with shame and vexation; Salammbo, who busied herself in helping him,
was as pale as he. The child, dazzled by such splendour, smiled and,
Salammbo |
