| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Koran: sincere!' Said He, 'It is the truth, and the truth I speak; I will
surely fill hell with thee and with those who follow thee amongst them
all together.'
Say, 'I do not ask thee for it any hire, nor am I of those who
take too much upon myself. It is but a reminder to the servants, and
ye shall surely know its story after a time.'
THE CHAPTER OF THE TROOPS
(XXXIX. Mecca.)
IN the name of the merciful and compassionate God.
The sending down of the Book from God, the mighty, the wise.
Verily, we have sent down to thee the Book in truth, then serve God,
The Koran |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg by Mark Twain: to piece many unrelated things together and get horrible results out
of the combination. When things had got about to the worst Richards
was delivered of a sudden gasp and his wife asked:
"Oh, what is it?--what is it?"
"The note--Burgess's note! Its language was sarcastic, I see it
now." He quoted: "'At bottom you cannot respect me, KNOWING, as
you do, of THAT MATTER OF which I am accused'--oh, it is perfectly
plain, now, God help me! He knows that I know! You see the
ingenuity of the phrasing. It was a trap--and like a fool, I walked
into it. And Mary--!"
"Oh, it is dreadful--I know what you are going to say --he didn't
The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Philebus by Plato: to all such who are or ever will be they are the most advantageous of all
things. Have I not given, Philebus, a fair statement of the two sides of
the argument?
PHILEBUS: Nothing could be fairer, Socrates.
SOCRATES: And do you, Protarchus, accept the position which is assigned to
you?
PROTARCHUS: I cannot do otherwise, since our excellent Philebus has left
the field.
SOCRATES: Surely the truth about these matters ought, by all means, to be
ascertained.
PROTARCHUS: Certainly.
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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 From London to Land's End by Daniel Defoe: Lord to his eldest son, who was called Lord Royalton during the
life of his father. This place also is infinitely rich in tin-
mines.
I am now at my journey's end. As to the islands of Scilly, which
lie beyond the Land's End, I shall say something of them presently.
I must now return SUR MES PAS, as the French call it; though not
literally so, for I shall not come back the same way I went. But
as I have coasted the south shore to the Land's End, I shall come
back by the north coast, and my observations in my return will
furnish very well materials for another letter.
APPENDIX TO LAND'S END.
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