| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay: long row of enormous stone posts, shining brightly in the moonlight
against a background of dark sky. There were about thirty in all,
and they were placed at such regular intervals that there was little
doubt that they had been set there by human hands. Some were
perpendicular, but others dipped so much that an aspect of extreme
antiquity was given to the entire colonnade. Corpang was seen
climbing the hill, not far from the top.
"He wishes to arrive," said Maskull, watching the energetic ascent
with a rather cynical smile.
"The heavens won't open for Corpang," returned Sullenbode. "He need
not be in such a hurry.... What do these pillars seem like to you?"
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Cratylus by Plato: been derived from a time when the Greeks were either barbarians, or in
close relations to the barbarians. Socrates is aware that this principle
is liable to great abuse; and, like the 'Deus ex machina,' explains
nothing. Hence he excuses himself for the employment of such a device,
and remarks that in foreign words there is still a principle of
correctness, which applies equally both to Greeks and barbarians.
(3) But the greater number of primary words do not admit of derivation
from foreign languages; they must be resolved into the letters out of which
they are composed, and therefore the letters must have a meaning. The
framers of language were aware of this; they observed that alpha was
adapted to express size; eta length; omicron roundness; nu inwardness; rho
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