| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Golden Sayings of Epictetus by Epictetus: simple citizen, thine it is to play it fitly. For thy business is
to act the part assigned thee, well: to choose it, is another's.
CLXI
Keep death and exile daily before thine eyes, with all else
that men deem terrible, but more especially Death. Then wilt thou
never think a mean though, nor covet anything beyond measure.
CLXII
As a mark is not set up in order to be missed, so neither is
such a thing as natural evil produced in the World.
CLXIII
Piety toward the Gods, to be sure, consists chiefly in
The Golden Sayings of Epictetus |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne: the innkeepers, urged on the iemschiks, and expedited the
harnessing of the tarantass. Then the hurried meal over --
always much too hurried to agree with Blount, who was a
methodical eater -- they started, and were driven as eagles,
for they paid like princes.
It need scarcely be said that Blount did not trouble him-
self about the girl at table. That gentleman was not in the
habit of doing two things at once. She was also one of the
few subjects of conversation which he did not care to dis-
cuss with his companion.
Alcide having asked him, on one occasion, how old he
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Manon Lescaut by Abbe Prevost: lieutenant-general of police, from whom they requested one favour
each: the first was to have me at once liberated from Le
Chatelet; the second to condemn Manon to perpetual imprisonment,
or to transport her for life to America. They happened, at that
very period, to be sending out a number of convicts to the
Mississippi. The lieutenant-general promised to have her
embarked on board the first vessel that sailed.
"M. G---- M---- and my father came together to bring me the news
of my liberation. M. G---- M---- said something civil with
reference to what had passed; and having congratulated me upon my
happiness in having such a father, he exhorted me to profit
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