| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: CHAPTER XXII
THE EXECUTION
Captain Wentworth clicked his heels together and saluted. Blake, in the
background, drew a deep breath - unmistakably of satisfaction, and his
eyes glittered. A muffled cry broke from Ruth, who rose instantly from
her chair, her hand on her bosom. Richard stood with fallen jaw, amazed,
a trifle troubled even, whilst Mr. Wilding started more in surprise than
actual fear, and approached the table.
"You heard, sir," said Captain Wentworth.
"I heard," answered Mr. Wilding quietly. "But surely not aright. One
moment, sir," and he waved his hand so compellingly that, despite the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Rig Veda: feast,
To drink the draught of Soma juice.
45 O Agni of the Bharatas, blaze high with everlasting might,
Shine forth and gleam, Eternal One.
46 The mortal man who serves the God with banquet, and, bringing
gifts
at sacrifice, lauds Agni,
May well attract, with prayer and hands uplifted, the Priest
of Heaven
and Earth, true Sacrificer.
47 Agni, we bring thee, with our hymn, oblation fashioned in
The Rig Veda |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Dream Life and Real Life by Olive Schreiner: where they keep such trifles, but no one has my rose.
When my eye is dim, and my heart grows faint, and my faith in woman
flickers, and her present is an agony to me, and her future a despair, the
scent of that dead rose, withered for twelve years, comes back to me. I
know there will be spring; as surely as the birds know it when they see
above the snow two tiny, quivering green leaves. Spring cannot fail us.
There were other flowers in the box once; a bunch of white acacia flowers,
gathered by the strong hand of a man, as we passed down a village street on
a sultry afternoon, when it had rained, and the drops fell on us from the
leaves of the acacia trees. The flowers were damp; they made mildew marks
on the paper I folded them in. After many years I threw them away. There
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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 Agesilaus by Xenophon: halted in unfeigned satisfaction at his exploit, since it was from an
antagonist boasting the finest cavalry in the world that he had
wrested victory with a body of cavalry organised by himself.
[1] I.e. "Xerxes."
[2] I.e. "the Three hundred." See Thuc. v. 72; "Pol. Lac." xiii. 6.
Next day, crossing the mountain barrier of Achaea Phthiotis, his march
lay through friendly territory for the rest of the way as far as the
frontiers of Boeotia. Here he found the confederates drawn up in
battle line. They consisted of the Thebans, the Athenians, the
Argives, the Corinthians, the Aenianians, the Euboeans, and both
divisions of the Locrians.[3] He did not hesitate, but openly before
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