| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from On Horsemanship by Xenophon: quiet seat, especially when mounted on a spirited horse; and also to
touch him as little as possible with anything except that part of the
body necessary to secure a firm seat.
Again, it should be known that the conventional "chirrup"[7] to quiet
and "cluck" to rouse a horse are a sort of precept of the training
school; and supposing any one from the beginning chose to associate
soft soothing actions with the "cluck" sound, and harsh rousing
actions with the "chirrup," the horse could be taught to rouse himself
at the "chirrup" and to calm himself at the "cluck" sound. On this
principle, at the sound of the trumpet or the shout of battle the
rider should avoid coming up to his charger in a state of excitement,
 On Horsemanship |
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 Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg by Mark Twain: up, and his wife rose and stood at his side. Her head was bent
down, so that none might see that she was crying. Her husband gave
her his arm, and so supporting her, he began to speak in a quavering
voice:
"My friends, you have known us two--Mary and me--all our lives, and
I think you have liked us and respected us--"
The Chair interrupted him:
"Allow me. It is quite true--that which you are saying, Mr.
Richards; this town DOES know you two; it DOES like you; it DOES
respect you; more--it honours you and LOVES you--"
Halliday's voice rang out:
 The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg |