| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Master of the World by Jules Verne: whose nature I could not determine. The body rested on four wheels,
about two feet in diameter. These had pneumatic tires so thick as to
assure ease of movement at any speed. Their spokes spread out like
paddles or battledores; and when the "Terror" moved either on or
under the water, they must have increased her pace.
These wheels were not however, the principal propeller. This
consisted of two "Parsons" turbines placed on either side of the
keel. Driven with extreme rapidity by the engine, they urged the boat
onward in the water by twin screws, and I even questioned if they
were not powerful enough to propel the machine through the air.
The chief aerial support, however, was that of the great wings, now
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Bickerstaff-Partridge Papers by Jonathan Swift: metamorphostical conjunction: a word which denotes the mutual
transformation of sexes, (the effect of that configuration of the
celestial bodies) the human males being turn'd into females, and
the human females into males.
The Egyptians have represented this great transformation by
several significant hieroglyphicks, particularly one very
remarkable. There are carv'd upon an obelisk, a barber and a
midwife; the barber delivers his razor to the midwife, and she
her swadling-cloaths to the barber. Accordingly Thales Milesius
(who like the rest of his countrymen, borrow'd his learning from
the Egyptians) after having computed the time of this famous
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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 Meno by Plato: keeping. Suppose that I carry on the figure of the swarm, and ask of you,
What is the nature of the bee? and you answer that there are many kinds of
bees, and I reply: But do bees differ as bees, because there are many and
different kinds of them; or are they not rather to be distinguished by some
other quality, as for example beauty, size, or shape? How would you answer
me?
MENO: I should answer that bees do not differ from one another, as bees.
SOCRATES: And if I went on to say: That is what I desire to know, Meno;
tell me what is the quality in which they do not differ, but are all
alike;--would you be able to answer?
MENO: I should.
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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 Amy Foster by Joseph Conrad: ate remonstrances only increased her fear of that
strange man. I believe he spoke to her for a long
time, entreating, wondering, pleading, ordering, I
suppose. She says she bore it as long as she could.
And then a gust of rage came over him.
"He sat up and called out terribly one word--
some word. Then he got up as though he hadn't
been ill at all, she says. And as in fevered dismay,
indignation, and wonder he tried to get to her
round the table, she simply opened the door and ran
out with the child in her arms. She heard him call
Amy Foster |
