| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Memorabilia by Xenophon: Soc. Ignorance, for instance, of smithying?
Euth. No, certainly not.
Soc. Then possibly ignorance of carpentering?
Euth. No, nor yet ignorance of carpentering.
Soc. Well, ignorance of shoemaking?
Euth. No, nor ignorance of any of these: rather the reverse, for the
majority of those who do know just these matters are "little better
than slaves."
Soc. You mean it is a title particularly to those who are ignorant of
the beautiful, the good, the just?[40]
[40] Cf. Goethe's "Im Ganzen Guten Schonen resolut zu leben."
The Memorabilia |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith: MRS. HARDCASTLE. Ah! he's a sly one. Don't you think they are like
each other about the mouth, Mr. Hastings? The Blenkinsop mouth to a T.
They're of a size too. Back to back, my pretties, that Mr. Hastings
may see you. Come, Tony.
TONY. You had as good not make me, I tell you. (Measuring.)
MISS NEVILLE. O lud! he has almost cracked my head.
MRS. HARDCASTLE. O, the monster! For shame, Tony. You a man, and
behave so!
TONY. If I'm a man, let me have my fortin. Ecod! I'll not be made a
fool of no longer.
MRS. HARDCASTLE. Is this, ungrateful boy, all that I'm to get for the
She Stoops to Conquer |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Aeneid by Virgil: With only seas around and skies above;
When o'er our heads descends a burst of rain,
And night with sable clouds involves the main;
The ruffling winds the foamy billows raise;
The scatter'd fleet is forc'd to sev'ral ways;
The face of heav'n is ravish'd from our eyes,
And in redoubled peals the roaring thunder flies.
Cast from our course, we wander in the dark.
No stars to guide, no point of land to mark.
Ev'n Palinurus no distinction found
Betwixt the night and day; such darkness reign'd around.
Aeneid |
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 The Wrecker by Stevenson & Osbourne: invariably laid his student out, and when Tom awoke again he
was almost always in the humour for brown sherry. The
connection was so well established that "a glass of Buckle" or
"a bottle of civilisation" became current pleasantries on board
the Currency Lass.
Hemstead's province was that of the repairs, and he had his
hands full. Nothing on board but was decayed in a proportion;
the lamps leaked; so did the decks; door-knobs came off in the
hand, mouldings parted company with the panels, the pump
declined to suck, and the defective bathroom came near to
swamp the ship. Wicks insisted that all the nails were long
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