| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Cavalry General by Xenophon: [22] "To be this, he must be able as an orator as well as a man of
action." Cf. "Mem." II. ii. 11.
[23] Cf. Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade":
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die.
To turn to another matter, take the case in which you have two armeis
facing one another in battle order, or a pair of fortresses[24]
belonging to rival powers, and in the space between all kinds of
cavalry manouvres are enacted, wheelings and charges and retreats.[25]
Under such circumstances the custom usually is for either party after
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Long Odds by H. Rider Haggard: not so much mind the risk. Scarcely had I got round when I heard the
reeds parting before the onward rush of some animal. 'Now for it,' said
I. On it came. I could see that it was yellow, and prepared for
action, when instead of a lion out bounded a beautiful reit bok which
had been lying in the shelter of the pan. It must, by the way, have
been a reit bok of a peculiarly confiding nature to lay itself down with
the lion, like the lamb of prophesy, but I suppose the reeds were thick,
and that it kept a long way off.
"Well, I let the reit bok go, and it went like the wind, and kept my
eyes fixed upon the reeds. The fire was burning like a furnace now; the
flames crackling and roaring as they bit into the reeds, sending spouts
Long Odds |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift: and justice, as to trust their persons in my hands; that whatever
they took from me, should be returned when I left the country, or
paid for at the rate which I would set upon them." I took up the
two officers in my hands, put them first into my coat-pockets,
and then into every other pocket about me, except my two fobs,
and another secret pocket, which I had no mind should be
searched, wherein I had some little necessaries that were of no
consequence to any but myself. In one of my fobs there was a
silver watch, and in the other a small quantity of gold in a
purse. These gentlemen, having pen, ink, and paper, about them,
made an exact inventory of every thing they saw; and when they
Gulliver's Travels |
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 Men of Iron by Howard Pyle: defend me, who am blinded by his unknightliness, I do offer a
champion to prove all that I say with his body in combat."
The Earl of Mackworth darted a quick look at Myles, who came
forward the moment his father had ended, and kneeled beside him.
The King offered no interruption to his speech, but he bent a
look heavy with anger upon the young man.
"My gracious Lord and King," said Myles, "I, the son of the
accused, do offer myself as his champion in this cause,
beseeching thee of thy grace leave to prove the truth of the
same, being a belted knight by thy grace and of thy creation and
the peer of any who weareth spurs." Thereupon, rising, he drew
Men of Iron |
