| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from On Revenues by Xenophon: in active operation; at any rate no one will venture to fix the date
at which they first began to be worked.[2] Now in spite of the fact
that the silver ore has been dug and carried out for so long a time, I
would ask you to note that the mounds of rubbish so shovelled out are
but a fractional portion of the series of hillocks containing veins of
silver, and as yet unquarried. Nor is the silver-bearing region
gradually becoming circumscribed. On the contrary it is evidently
extending in wider area from year to year. That is to say, during the
period in which thousands of workers[3] have been employed within the
mines no hand was ever stopped for want of work to do. Rather, at any
given moment, the work to be done was more than enough for the hands
|
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: be?
MARLOW. Oh, the devil!
MISS HARDCASTLE. Yes, sir, that very identical tall squinting lady you
were pleased to take me for (courtseying); she that you addressed as
the mild, modest, sentimental man of gravity, and the bold, forward,
agreeable Rattle of the Ladies' Club. Ha! ha! ha!
MARLOW. Zounds! there's no bearing this; it's worse than death!
MISS HARDCASTLE. In which of your characters, sir, will you give us
leave to address you? As the faltering gentleman, with looks on the
ground, that speaks just to be heard, and hates hypocrisy; or the loud
confident creature, that keeps it up with Mrs. Mantrap, and old Miss
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 Lord Arthur Savile's Crime, etc. by Oscar Wilde: drawn by eight black horses, each of which carried on its head a
great tuft of nodding ostrich-plumes, and the leaden coffin was
covered by a rich purple pall, on which was embroidered in gold the
Canterville coat-of-arms. By the side of the hearse and the
coaches walked the servants with lighted torches, and the whole
procession was wonderfully impressive. Lord Canterville was the
chief mourner, having come up specially from Wales to attend the
funeral, and sat in the first carriage along with little Virginia.
Then came the United States Minister and his wife, then Washington
and the three boys, and in the last carriage was Mrs. Umney. It
was generally felt that, as she had been frightened by the ghost
|
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 King James Bible: to war;
NUM 1:35 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of
Manasseh, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred.
NUM 1:36 Of the children of Benjamin, by their generations, after their
families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the
names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth
to war;
NUM 1:37 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of
Benjamin, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred.
NUM 1:38 Of the children of Dan, by their generations, after their
families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the
King James Bible |
