| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Enemies of Books by William Blades: books now-a-days, the worm has hard times of it, and but slight chance
of that quiet neglect which is necessary to his, existence. So much
greater is the reason why some patient entomologist should, while there
is the chance, take upon himself to study the habits of the creature,
as Sir John Lubbock has those of the ant.
I have now before me some leaves of a book, which, being waste,
were used by our economical first printer, Caxton, to make boards,
by pasting them together. Whether the old paste was an attraction,
or whatever the reason may have been, the worm, when he got in there,
did not, as usual, eat straight through everything into the middle
of the book, but worked his way longitudinally, eating great furrows
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Euthyphro by Plato: injustice is done among them. For surely neither God nor man will ever
venture to say that the doer of injustice is not to be punished?
EUTHYPHRO: That is true, Socrates, in the main.
SOCRATES: But they join issue about the particulars--gods and men alike;
and, if they dispute at all, they dispute about some act which is called in
question, and which by some is affirmed to be just, by others to be unjust.
Is not that true?
EUTHYPHRO: Quite true.
SOCRATES: Well then, my dear friend Euthyphro, do tell me, for my better
instruction and information, what proof have you that in the opinion of all
the gods a servant who is guilty of murder, and is put in chains by the
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Adieu by Honore de Balzac: to the soft sad tones of an autumnal twilight.
"It is the palace of the Sleeping Beauty," said the marquis, beginning
to view the house with the eyes of a land owner. "I wonder to whom it
belongs! He must be a stupid fellow not to live in such an exquisite
spot."
At that instant a woman sprang from beneath a chestnut-tree standing
to the right of the gate, and, without making any noise, passed before
the marquis as rapidly as the shadow of a cloud. This vision made him
mute with surprise.
"Why, Albon, what's the matter?" asked the colonel.
"I am rubbing my eyes to know if I am asleep or awake," replied the
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