| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Polity of Athenians and Lacedaemonians by Xenophon: calumniate and vent their hatred[34] upon the better sort of people,
this is done[35] on the principle that the ruler cannot help being
hated by those whom he rules; but that if wealth and respectability
are to wield power in the subject cities the empire of the Athenian
People has but a short lease of existence. This explains why the
better people are punished with infamy,[36] robbed of their money,
driven from their homes, and put to death, while the baser sort are
promoted to honour. On the other hand, the better Athenians throw
their aegis over the better class in the allied cities.[37] And why?
Because they recognise that it is to the interest of their own class
at all times to protect the best element in the cities. It may be
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne: volume of tone.
"Goodwives," said a hard-featured dame of fifty, "I'll tell ye a
piece of my mind. It would be greatly for the public behoof if
we women, being of mature age and church-members in good repute,
should have the handling of such malefactresses as this Hester
Prynne. What think ye, gossips? If the hussy stood up for
judgment before us five, that are now here in a knot together,
would she come off with such a sentence as the worshipful
magistrates have awarded? Marry, I trow not"
The Scarlet Letter |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: temperance and righteousness are hard to alter, being deeply
seated habits, qualities and activities of the soul. For if the
evil affections, not being natural to us, but attacking us from
without, be hard to alter when they become habits, how much
harder shall it be to shift virtue, which hath been by nature
planted in us by our Maker, and hath him for an help-mate, if so
be, through our brief endeavour, it shall have been rooted in
habit in the soul?"
XX.
"Wherefore a practician of virtue once spake to me on this wise:
'After I had made divine meditation my constant habit, and
|
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 Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe: Eliza's hands trembled, and some tears fell on her fine
work; but she answered, firmly,
"I shall do--anything I can find. I hope I can find something."
"Thee knows thee can stay here, as long as thee pleases,"
said Rachel.
"O, thank you," said Eliza, "but"--she pointed to Harry--"I
can't sleep nights; I can't rest. Last night I dreamed I saw that
man coming into the yard," she said, shuddering.
"Poor child!" said Rachel, wiping her eyes; "but thee
mustn't feel so. The Lord hath ordered it so that never hath a
fugitive been stolen from our village. I trust thine will not be
Uncle Tom's Cabin |
