| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Soul of the Far East by Percival Lowell: volumes for her civilization that she burnt her powder for fireworks,
not for firearms. To the West alone belongs the credit of
manufacturing that article for the sake of killing people instead
of merely killing time.
The scientific is not the Far Oriental point of view. To wish to
know the reasons of things, that irrepressible yearning of the
Western spirit, is no characteristic of the Chinaman's mind, nor is
it a Tartar trait. Metaphysics, a species of speculation that has
usually proved peculiarly attractive to mankind, probably from its
not requiring any scientific capital whatever, would seem the most
likely place to seek it. But upon such matters he has expended no
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Enchanted Island of Yew by L. Frank Baum: the other Ki-Ki struck the same false note at the same time, and the
same expression of annoyance came over the two faces at the same moment.
When the prisoners entered, the pairs of captains and soldiers bowed
low to the two pairs of rulers, and the Ki exclaimed--both in the same
voice of surprise:
"Great Kika-koo! what have we here?"
"Most wonderful prisoners, your Highnesses," answered the captains.
"We found them at your cities' gates and brought them to you at once.
They are, as your Highnesses will see, each singular, and but half of
what he should be."
"'Tis so!" cried the double Ki, in loud voices, and slapping their
The Enchanted Island of Yew |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from United States Declaration of Independence: large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish
the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right
inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual,
uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their
Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them
into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing
with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions,
to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative Powers,
United States Declaration of Independence |
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 Allan Quatermain by H. Rider Haggard: He had flatly refused to celebrate it, or to allow any of his
priests to do so, whereupon Nyleptha became very angry and told
him that she, as Queen, was head of the Church, and meant to
be obeyed. Indeed, she played the part of a Zu-Vendi Henry the
Eighth to perfection, and insisted that, if she wanted to be
married, she would be married, and that he should marry her.
{Endnote 18}
He still refused to go through the ceremony, so she clinched
her argument thus --
'Well, I cannot execute a High Priest, because there is an absurd
prejudice against it, and I cannot imprison him because all his
Allan Quatermain |
