| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Criminal Sociology by Enrico Ferri: liquet,'' as an alternative to ``absolvo'' and ``condemno,'' and
which may be delivered by juries in Scotland. Every one who has
been put on his trial is entitled to have his innocence declared,
it it has been actually proved. But if the proofs remain
incomplete, his only right is not to be condemned, since
his culpability has not been proved. But it is not the duty of
society to declare him absolutely innocent, when suspicious
circumstances remain. In this case the only logical and just
verdict is one of ``not proven.'' Such a verdict would obliterate
the shadow of doubt which rests on persons who have been
acquitted, by reason of the identical verdicts in cases of proved
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Four Arthurian Romances by Chretien DeTroyes: daughter with me to the King's court, where I wish to take her as
my wife; and if you will tarry here a little, I shall send
betimes to fetch you. I shall have you escorted into the country
which is my father's now, but which later will be mine. It is
far from here--by no means near. There I shall give you two
towns, very splendid, rich, and fine. You shall be lord of
Roadan, which was built in the time of Adam, and of another town
close by, which is no less valuable. The people call it
Montrevel, and my father owns no better town. (15) And before
the third day has passed, I shall send you plenty of gold and
silver, of dappled and grey furs, and precious silken stuffs
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Death of the Lion by Henry James: She looked mystified, then turned visibly pale. "Why, hasn't he
any personal charm?" The girl was terrible and laughable in her
bright directness.
"Ah that dreadful word 'personally'!" I wailed; "we're dying of it,
for you women bring it out with murderous effect. When you meet
with a genius as fine as this idol of ours let him off the dreary
duty of being a personality as well. Know him only by what's best
in him and spare him for the same sweet sake."
My young lady continued to look at me in confusion and mistrust,
and the result of her reflexion on what I had just said was to make
her suddenly break out: "Look here, sir - what's the matter with
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