| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Theaetetus by Plato: about the reason of man being degraded to the level of the brutes, which is
a telling argument with the multitude, but not one word of proof or
demonstration do you offer. All is probability with you, and yet surely
you and Theodorus had better reflect whether you are disposed to admit of
probability and figures of speech in matters of such importance. He or any
other mathematician who argued from probabilities and likelihoods in
geometry, would not be worth an ace.
THEAETETUS: But neither you nor we, Socrates, would be satisfied with such
arguments.
SOCRATES: Then you and Theodorus mean to say that we must look at the
matter in some other way?
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Vailima Letters by Robert Louis Stevenson: preserving the garbage; (3) a dr-, well, don't let us say
that - but we daren't let him go to town, and he - poor, good
soul - is afraid to be let go. - Lafaele (Raphael), a strong,
dull, deprecatory man; splendid with an axe, if watched; the
better for a rowing, when he calls me 'Papa' in the most
wheedling tones; desperately afraid of ghosts, so that he
dare not walk alone up in the banana patch - see map. The
rest are changing labourers; and to-night, owing to the
miserable cowardice of Peni, who did not venture to tell me
what the men wanted - and which was no more than fair - all
are gone - and my weeding in the article of being finished!
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from An Inland Voyage by Robert Louis Stevenson: state. They understood perfectly well, they told me, how Monsieur
envied them. Without doubt Monsieur was rich; and in that case he
might make a canal boat as pretty as a villa - JOLI COMME UN
CHATEAU. And with that they invited me on board their own water
villa. They apologised for their cabin; they had not been rich
enough to make it as it ought to be.
'The fire should have been here, at this side.' explained the
husband. 'Then one might have a writing-table in the middle -
books - and' (comprehensively) 'all. It would be quite coquettish
- CA SERAIT TOUT-A-FAIT COQUET.' And he looked about him as though
the improvements were already made. It was plainly not the first
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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 Democracy In America, Volume 1 by Alexis de Toqueville: doctrines in the townships of America - The township of New
England is sovereign in all that concerns itself alone: subject
to the State in all other matters - Bond of the township and the
State - In France the Government lends its agent to the Commune -
In America the reverse occurs.
I have already observed that the principle of the
sovereignty of the people governs the whole political system of
the Anglo- Americans. Every page of this book will afford new
instances of the same doctrine. In the nations by which the
sovereignty of the people is recognized every individual
possesses an equal share of power, and participates alike in the
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