| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Mountains by Stewart Edward White: different sorts of provisions we had with us. When
we made camp we unpacked her near the best place
for a fire, and everything was ready for the cook.
Jenny was a sort of supply store, for she transported
the main stock of the provisions of which Lily's little
bags contained samples. Dinkey helped out Jenny,
and in addition--since she took such good care
of her pack--was intrusted with the fishing-rods,
the shot-gun, the medicine-bag, small miscellaneous
duffle, and whatever deer or bear meat we happened
to have. Buckshot's pack consisted of things not
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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 Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: play they may be found sufficient each for his particular trust.
And will they be all punctual, I wonder? An enterprise that hangs
on the punctuality of many people, no matter how well disposed and
even heroic, hangs on a thread. This I have perceived to be also
the greatest of Dominic's concerns. He, too, wonders. And when he
breathes his doubts the smile lurking under the dark curl of his
moustaches is not reassuring.
But there is also something exciting in such speculations and the
road to the Villa seemed to me shorter than ever before.
Let in by the silent, ever-active, dark lady's maid, who is always
on the spot and always on the way somewhere else, opening the door
The Arrow of Gold |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Sportsman by Xenophon: aploun alla therides}; al. Arrian, vi. See Jaques de Fouilloux,
"La Venerie" (ap. E. Talbot, "Oeuvres completes de Xenophon,"
traduction, ii. 318).
There is a good deal to be said for taking your hounds frequently into
the mountains; not so much for taking them on to cultivated land.[25]
And for this reason: the fells offer facilities for hunting and for
following the quarry without interruption, while cultivated land,
owing to the number of cross roads and beaten paths, presents
opportunities for neither. Moreover, quite apart from finding a hare,
it is an excellent thing to take your dogs on to rough ground. It is
there they will become sound of foot, and in general the benefit to
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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 Phaedrus by Plato: truer than an elaborate philosophical analysis.
It is too often forgotten that the whole of the second discourse of
Socrates is only an allegory, or figure of speech. For this reason, it is
unnecessary to enquire whether the love of which Plato speaks is the love
of men or of women. It is really a general idea which includes both, and
in which the sensual element, though not wholly eradicated, is reduced to
order and measure. We must not attribute a meaning to every fanciful
detail. Nor is there any need to call up revolting associations, which as
a matter of good taste should be banished, and which were far enough away
from the mind of Plato. These and similar passages should be interpreted
by the Laws. Nor is there anything in the Symposium, or in the Charmides,
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