| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith: ecod, if you mind him, he'll persuade you that his mother was an
alderman, and his aunt a justice of peace.
LANDLORD. A troublesome old blade, to be sure; but a keeps as good
wines and beds as any in the whole country.
MARLOW. Well, if he supplies us with these, we shall want no farther
connexion. We are to turn to the right, did you say?
TONY. No, no; straight forward. I'll just step myself, and show you a
piece of the way. (To the Landlord.) Mum!
LANDLORD. Ah, bless your heart, for a sweet, pleasant--damn'd
mischievous son of a whore. [Exeunt.]
ACT THE SECOND.
She Stoops to Conquer |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from On Horsemanship by Xenophon: soldier finds himself fully prepared to engage the enemy on a
sudden, if occasion need."
But now, supposing the rider fairly seated, whether bareback or on a
saddle-cloth, a good seat is not that of a man seated on a chair, but
rather the pose of a man standing upright with his legs apart. In this
way he will be able to hold on to the horse more firmly by his thighs;
and this erect attitude will enable him to hurl a javelin or to strike
a blow from horseback, if occasion calls, with more vigorous effect.
The leg and foot should hang loosely from the knee; by keeping the leg
stiff, the rider is apt to have it broken in collision with some
obstacle; whereas a flexible leg[9] will yield to the impact, and at
On Horsemanship |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Modeste Mignon by Honore de Balzac: precaution.
"Exupere," he said to his son, "you must try to carry out
intelligently a little manoeuvre which I shall explain to you, but you
are not to ask the meaning of it; and if you guess the meaning I
command you to toss it into that Styx which every lawyer and every man
who expects to have a hand in the government of his country is bound
to keep within him for the secrets of others. After you have paid your
respects and compliments to Madame and Mademoiselle Mignon, to
Monsieur and Madame Dumay, and to Monsieur Gobenheim if he is at the
Chalet, and as soon as quiet is restored, Monsieur Dumay will take you
aside; you are then to look attentively at Mademoiselle Modeste (yes,
Modeste Mignon |
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 Montezuma's Daughter by H. Rider Haggard: left him. Nay, do not shudder, gentle lady; look now at his
wounds! Consider to what a pass we are driven when you find us
about to die thus like dogs, he, my husband, that he may not live
to see me handled as he has been, and I with him, because a
princess of the Otomie and of Montezuma's blood cannot submit to
such a shame while death has one door through which to creep. It
is but a single grain of your harvest, outcast and traitress, the
harvest of misery and death that is stored yonder in the ruins of
Tenoctitlan. Had I my will, I tell you that I had sooner die a
score of times than take help from a hand so stained with the blood
of my people and of yours--I--'
Montezuma's Daughter |
