| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Sportsman by Xenophon: once more, "Right so! right so, hounds! forward on, good hounds!"
[31] {apantosi diokousai auton}, al. "come across the huntsman again."
But if the pack have got too long a start of him, and he cannot
overtake them, however eagerly he follows up the hunt--perhaps he has
altogether missed the chase, or even if they are ranging close and
giving tongue and sticking to the scent, he cannot see them--still as
he tears along he can interrogate the passer-by: "Hilloa there, have
you seen my hounds?" he shouts, and having at length ascertained their
whereabouts, if they are on the line, he will post himself close by,
and cheer them on, repeating turn and turn about the name of every
hound, and pitching the tone of his voice sharp or deep, soft or loud;
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Charmides by Plato: superficial and, except in the case of the Republic and the Laws, have no
philosophical importance. They do not affect the substance of the work.
It may be remarked further that several of the dialogues, such as the
Phaedrus, the Sophist, and the Parmenides, have more than one subject. But
it does not therefore follow that Plato intended one dialogue to succeed
another, or that he begins anew in one dialogue a subject which he has left
unfinished in another, or that even in the same dialogue he always intended
the two parts to be connected with each other. We cannot argue from a
casual statement found in the Parmenides to other statements which occur in
the Philebus. Much more truly is his own manner described by himself when
he says that 'words are more plastic than wax' (Rep.), and 'whither the
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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 Market-Place by Harold Frederic: presenting me with 100,000 shares."
"Well, they are here ready for you," said Thorpe,
with calculated coldness. "You can have them whenever
you please. I promised them to you, and set them
aside for you. You can take them away with you now,
if you like. What are you kicking up this fuss for,
then? Upon my word!--you come here and suggest to me
that I made promises to you which I've broken!"
Plowden looked hard at him, as he turned over in his mind
the purport of these words. "I see what you are doing,"
he said then. "You turn over to me 100,000 vendor's
The Market-Place |
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 Oedipus Trilogy by Sophocles: A herald met me and a man who sat
In a car drawn by colts--as in thy tale--
The man in front and the old man himself
Threatened to thrust me rudely from the path,
Then jostled by the charioteer in wrath
I struck him, and the old man, seeing this,
Watched till I passed and from his car brought down
Full on my head the double-pointed goad.
Yet was I quits with him and more; one stroke
Of my good staff sufficed to fling him clean
Out of the chariot seat and laid him prone.
Oedipus Trilogy |
