| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Phaedrus by Plato: his words any more than in a nursery rhyme. With this he compares the
regular divisions of the other speech, which was his own (and yet not his
own, for the local deities must have inspired him). Although only a
playful composition, it will be found to embody two principles: first, that
of synthesis or the comprehension of parts in a whole; secondly, analysis,
or the resolution of the whole into parts. These are the processes of
division and generalization which are so dear to the dialectician, that
king of men. They are effected by dialectic, and not by rhetoric, of which
the remains are but scanty after order and arrangement have been
subtracted. There is nothing left but a heap of 'ologies' and other
technical terms invented by Polus, Theodorus, Evenus, Tisias, Gorgias, and
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy: Jude reflected, and said he could undertake it.
"It is not a very artistic job," continued the messenger.
"The clergyman is a very old-fashioned chap, and he has refused
to let anything more be done to the church than cleaning
and repairing."
"Excellent old man!" said Sue to herself, who was sentimentally
opposed to the horrors of over-restoration.
"The Ten Commandments are fixed to the east end," the messenger went on,
"and they want doing up with the rest of the wall there, since he won't
have them carted off as old materials belonging to the contractor
in the usual way of the trade."
Jude the Obscure |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Thus Spake Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche: thy sweetest dew, thou honey of my heart! Bite, my fishing-hook, into the
belly of all black affliction!
Look out, look out, mine eye! Oh, how many seas round about me, what
dawning human futures! And above me--what rosy red stillness! What
unclouded silence!
LXII. THE CRY OF DISTRESS.
The next day sat Zarathustra again on the stone in front of his cave,
whilst his animals roved about in the world outside to bring home new
food,--also new honey: for Zarathustra had spent and wasted the old honey
to the very last particle. When he thus sat, however, with a stick in his
hand, tracing the shadow of his figure on the earth, and reflecting--
Thus Spake Zarathustra |
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 Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare: For in a minute there are many dayes,
O by this count I shall be much in yeares,
Ere I againe behold my Romeo
Rom. Farewell:
I will omit no oportunitie,
That may conuey my greetings Loue, to thee
Iul. O thinkest thou we shall euer meet againe?
Rom. I doubt it not, and all these woes shall serue
For sweet discourses in our time to come
Iuliet. O God! I haue an ill Diuining soule,
Me thinkes I see thee now, thou art so lowe,
Romeo and Juliet |
