| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Eryxias by Platonic Imitator: Yes, said Eryxias, interposing, but what use would it be if a man had the
wisdom of Nestor and wanted the necessaries of life, food and drink and
clothes and the like? Where would be the advantage of wisdom then? Or how
could he be the richest of men who might even have to go begging, because
he had not wherewithal to live?
I thought that what Eryxias was saying had some weight, and I replied,
Would the wise man really suffer in this way, if he were so ill-provided;
whereas if he had the house of Polytion, and the house were full of gold
and silver, he would lack nothing?
ERYXIAS: Yes; for then he might dispose of his property and obtain in
exchange what he needed, or he might sell it for money with which he could
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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 Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy: since the day of her marriage even she had not exhibited
herself to such advantage.
"How pretty you look today, Thomasin!" he said.
"Is it because of the Maypole?"
"Not altogether." And then she blushed and dropped her eyes,
which he did not specially observe, though her manner
seemed to him to be rather peculiar, considering that
she was only addressing himself. Could it be possible
that she had put on her summer clothes to please him?
He recalled her conduct towards him throughout
the last few weeks, when they had often been working
 Return of the Native |