| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Wife, et al by Anton Chekhov: streets like that, sir. Stay, stay," he shouted. "Turn in at the
tavern! We must get warm and let the horses rest."
They stopped at the tavern.
"I have more than one village like that in my district," said the
doctor, opening a heavy door with a squeaky block, and ushering
me in front of him. "If you look in broad daylight you can't see
to the end of the street, and there are side-streets, too, and
one can do nothing but scratch one's head. It's hard to do
anything."
We went into the best room where there was a strong smell of
table-cloths, and at our entrance a sleepy peasant in a waistcoat
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Anabasis by Xenophon: Master of Balliol College
Regius Professor of Greek in the University of Oxford
Xenophon the Athenian was born 431 B.C. He was a
pupil of Socrates. He marched with the Spartans,
and was exiled from Athens. Sparta gave him land
and property in Scillus, where he lived for many
years before having to move once more, to settle
in Corinth. He died in 354 B.C.
The Anabasis is his story of the march to Persia
to aid Cyrus, who enlisted Greek help to try and
take the throne from Artaxerxes, and the ensuing
Anabasis |
