| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians by Martin Luther: lasciviousness." (Jude 4.) The flesh reasons: "If we are without the law, we
may as well indulge ourselves. Why do good, why give alms, why suffer
evil when there is no law to force us to do so?"
This attitude is common enough. People talk about Christian liberty and
then go and cater to the desires of covetousness, pleasure, pride, envy, and
other vices. Nobody wants to fulfill his duties. Nobody wants to help out a
brother in distress. This sort of thing makes me so impatient at times that I
wish the swine who trampled precious pearls under foot were back once
again under the tyranny of the Pope. You cannot wake up the people of
Gomorrah with the gospel of peace.
Even we creatures of the world do not perform our duties as zealously in
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Edition of The Ambassadors by Henry James: bury his nose even to wantonness. This last resource was offered
him, for that matter, in the very form of his next clear
perception--the vision of a prompt meeting, in the doorway of the
room, between little Bilham and brilliant Miss Barrace, who was
entering as Bilham withdrew. She had apparently put him a
question, to which he had replied by turning to indicate his late
interlocutor; toward whom, after an interrogation further aided by
a resort to that optical machinery which seemed, like her other
ornaments, curious and archaic, the genial lady, suggesting more
than ever for her fellow guest the old French print, the historic
portrait, directed herself with an intention that Strether
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Blix by Frank Norris: Over Death,' which we would have been glad to publish ourselves,
had you given us the chance.
"Would you consider the offer of the assistant editorship of our
QUARTERLY, a literary and critical pamphlet, that we publish in
New York, and with which we presume you are familiar? We do not
believe there would be any difficulty in the matter of financial
arrangements. In case you should decide to come on, we inclose R.
R. passes via the A. T. & S. F., C. & A., and New York Central.
"Very truly,
|
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 Sophist by Plato: weight than that which is acknowledged by inferior men. Moreover we are no
respecters of persons, but seekers after truth.
THEAETETUS: Very good.
STRANGER: Then now, on the supposition that they are improved, let us ask
them to state their views, and do you interpret them.
THEAETETUS: Agreed.
STRANGER: Let them say whether they would admit that there is such a thing
as a mortal animal.
THEAETETUS: Of course they would.
STRANGER: And do they not acknowledge this to be a body having a soul?
THEAETETUS: Certainly they do.
|
