| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Economist by Xenophon: Isch. Yes! and that other portion lying naked to the roots and
defenceless, how aid it?
Soc. Possibly by mounding up fresh earth about it.[16]
[16] "Scraping up a barrier of fresh earth about it."
Isch. And what when the weeds spring up together with the corn and
choke it? or when they rob and ruthlessly devour the corn's proper
sustenance, like unserviceable drones[17] that rob the working bees of
honey, pilfering the good food which they have made and stored away
with labour: what must we do?
[17] Cf. Shakesp. "Lazy yawning drones," "Henry V." I. ii. 204.
Soc. In good sooth, there can be nothing for it save to cut out the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from War and the Future by H. G. Wells: sheep to a matter as big as the world. What is going to happen
to the shipping of the world after this war? The Germans, with
that combination of cunning and stupidity which baffles the rest
of mankind, have set themselves to destroy the mercantile marine
not merely of Britain and France but of Norway and Sweden,
Holland, and all the neutral countries. The German papers openly
boast that they are building up a big mercantile marine that will
start out to take up the world's overseas trade directly peace is
declared. Every such boast receives careful attention in the
British press. We have heard a very great deal about the German
will-to-power in this war, but there is something very much older
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