| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Massimilla Doni by Honore de Balzac: music. Only long custom and keen observation can ever reveal to a
foreigner the meaning of Italian life, which is like the free sky of
the south, and where a rich man will not endure a cloud. A man of rank
cares little about the management of his fortune; he leaves the
details to his stewards (ragionati), who rob and ruin him. He has no
instinct for politics, and they would presently bore him; he lives
exclusively for passion, which fills up all his time; hence the
necessity felt by the lady and her lover for being constantly
together; for the great feature of such a life is the lover, who for
five hours is kept under the eye of a woman who has had him at her
feet all day. Thus Italian habits allow of perpetual satisfaction, and
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift: shop-keepers, who, if a resolution could now be taken to buy only
our native goods, would immediately unite to cheat and exact upon
us in the price, the measure, and the goodness, nor could ever
yet be brought to make one fair proposal of just dealing, though
often and earnestly invited to it.
Therefore I repeat, let no man talk to me of these and the like
expedients, 'till he hath at least some glympse of hope, that
there will ever be some hearty and sincere attempt to put them
into practice.
But, as to my self, having been wearied out for many years with
offering vain, idle, visionary thoughts, and at length utterly
A Modest Proposal |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: hair that fell upon the shoulders of his scarlet coat.
"Surely, madam," he answered dryly, "what concerns a man may well
concern his wife."
She bowed her head, her eyes upon the road before her. "True," said
she, her voice expressionless. "I had forgot."
He reined in and turned to look at her; her horse moved on a pace or
two, then came to a halt, apparently of its own accord.
"I do protest," said he, "you treat me less kindly than I deserve."
He urged his mare forward until he had come up with her again, and
then drew rein once more. `I think that I may lay some claim to - at
least - your gratitude for what I did to-day."
|
