| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin: me, and that you think I have not begun too near the ground. Now,
without teasing you by putting farther question, I venture to assume
that you will admit duty as at least a secondary or tertiary motive.
You think that the desire of doing something useful, or obtaining
some real good, is indeed an existent collateral idea, though a
secondary one, in most men's desire of advancement. You will grant
that moderately honest men desire place and office, at least in some
measure for the sake of beneficent power; and would wish to
associate rather with sensible and well-informed persons than with
fools and ignorant persons, whether they are seen in the company of
the sensible ones or not. And finally, without being troubled by
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Cavalry General by Xenophon: stand, when taken from the manger to be groomed.[23] The point is,
that the horse will keep perpetually moving first one foot and then
another on the stones, whilst being rubbed down or simply because he
is fidgeted by flies. Let any one try the experiment, and, I venture
to predict, not only will he come to trust my guidance, but he will
see his horse's hoofs grow just as round and solid as the cobbles.
[23] See below, "Horse." iv. 4. The Greeks did not "shoe" their
horses.
Assuming, then, your horses are all that horses ought to be, how is
the trooper to attain a like degree of excellence? To that question I
will now address myself. The art of leaping on to horseback is one
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey: me--showing his teeth!" muttered Venters, scornfully. "I'll just
kill him good and quick! I'll be fair to this girl, if it's the
last thing I do on earth!"
Another day went by, in which he worked less and pondered more
and all the time covertly watched Bess. Her wistfulness had
deepened into downright unhappiness, and that made his task to
tell her all the harder. He kept the secret another day, hoping
by some chance she might grow less moody, and to his exceeding
anxiety she fell into far deeper gloom. Out of his own secret and
the torment of it he divined that she, too, had a secret and the
keeping of it was torturing her. As yet he had no plan thought
Riders of the Purple Sage |
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Heroes by Charles Kingsley: golden fleece; and whosoever shrank back, or disobeyed, or
turned traitor to his vow, then justice should minister
against him, and the Erinnues who track guilty men.
Then Jason lighted the pile, and burnt the carcase of the
bull; and they went to their ship and sailed eastward, like
men who have a work to do; and the place from which they went
was called Aphetai, the sailing-place, from that day forth.
Three thousand years and more they sailed away, into the
unknown Eastern seas; and great nations have come and gone
since then, and many a storm has swept the earth; and many a
mighty armament, to which ARGO would be but one small boat;
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