| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift: in foreign fineries which they never will pay for; the kingdom
would not be the worse.
Some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about
that vast number of poor people, who are aged, diseased, or
maimed; and I have been desired to employ my thoughts what course
may be taken, to ease the nation of so grievous an incumbrance.
But I am not in the least pain upon that matter, because it is
very well known, that they are every day dying, and rotting, by
cold and famine, and filth, and vermin, as fast as can be
reasonably expected. And as to the young labourers, they are now
in almost as hopeful a condition. They cannot get work, and
A Modest Proposal |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Heroes by Charles Kingsley: by him and watched him, for he knew that the time was come.
And Jason looked and saw the plains of Thessaly, where the
Lapithai breed their horses; and the lake of Boibe, and the
stream which runs northward to Peneus and Tempe; and he
looked north, and saw the mountain wall which guards the
Magnesian shore; Olympus, the seat of the Immortals, and
Ossa, and Pelion, where he stood. Then he looked east and saw
the bright blue sea, which stretched away for ever toward the
dawn. Then he looked south, and saw a pleasant land, with
white-walled towns and farms, nestling along the shore of a
land-locked bay, while the smoke rose blue among the trees;
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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 The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield: how typical this dressing-table is of you!"
"Why? What's the matter with it?" said Hammond.
"If it were floating in eternity I should say 'John!'" laughed Janey,
staring at the big bottle of hair tonic, the wicker bottle of eau-de-
Cologne, the two hair-brushes, and a dozen new collars tied with pink tape.
"Is this all your luggage?"
"Hang my luggage!" said Hammond; but all the same he liked being laughed at
by Janey. "Let's talk. Let's get down to things. Tell me"--and as Janey
perched on his knees he leaned back and drew her into the deep, ugly chair-
-"tell me you're really glad to be back, Janey."
"Yes, darling, I am glad," she said.
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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 The Sportsman by Xenophon: {kai apo ton a. kai emblemmaton eis ton ulen kai anastremmaton ton
epi tas k.}, transl. "now looking back at the huntsman and now
staring hard into the covert, and again right-about-face in the
direction of the hare's sitting-place."
[17] Lit. "form"; "the place where puss is seated."
Once she is off, the pack should pursue with vigour.[18] They must not
relax their hold, but with yelp and bark full cry insist on keeping
close and dogging puss at every turn. Twist for twist and turn for
turn, they, too, must follow in a succession of swift and brilliant
bursts, interrupted by frequent doublings; while ever and again they
give tongue and yet again till the very welkin rings.[19] One thing
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