| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Apology by Xenophon: converges."[18]
[16] {te tou logou episkepsei}. Cf. Plat. "Rep." 456 C.
[17] Or, if {emin}, transl. "we all were for thinking that the main
thing was."
[18] Or, "that sink into which a confluent stream of evil humours
discharge most incompatible with gaiety of mind." Schneid. conj.
{eremon} sc. {geras}.
"No," he added, "God knows I shall display no ardent zeal to bring
that about.[19] On the contrary, if by proclaiming all the blessings
which I owe to god and men; if, by blazoning forth the opinion which I
entertain with regard to myself, I end by wearying the court, even so
The Apology |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum: been so happy as on that day.
When he entered his house he found Shiegra, the lioness, awaiting him.
Since his babyhood Shiegra had loved Claus, and while he dwelt in the
Forest she had often come to visit him at Necile's bower. After Claus
had gone to live in the Laughing Valley Shiegra became lonely and ill
at ease, and now she had braved the snow-drifts, which all lions
abhor, to see him once more. Shiegra was getting old and her teeth
were beginning to fall out, while the hairs that tipped her ears and
tail had changed from tawny-yellow to white.
Claus found her lying on his hearth, and he put his arms around the
neck of the lioness and hugged her lovingly. The cat had retired into
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Brother of Daphne by Dornford Yates: "Shall we?" she whispered.
"Yes, yes. Say you will."
She looked away suddenly over the sunlit park. Then she spoke
very slowly."
"I'm trusting you rather a lot, aren't I?" she said.
"Yes," I said quietly.
"But since you make such a point- "
I took her hand. As I raised it, she turned, and we looked each
other full in the eyes.
Said I: "This point is a point of honour."
Then I kissed her small, gloved fingers.
The Brother of Daphne |
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 Just Folks by Edgar A. Guest: But none of these appeals to me, though all of them I've tried--
The breakfast that I liked the best was sausage mother fried.
Old country sausage was its name; the kind, of course, you know,
The little links that seemed to be almost as white as snow,
But turned unto a ruddy brown, while sizzling in the pan;
Oh, they were made both to appease and charm the inner man.
All these new-fangled dishes make me blush and turn aside,
When I think about the sausage that for breakfast mother fried.
When they roused me from my slumbers and I left to do the chores,
It wasn't long before I breathed a fragrance out of doors
That seemed to grip my spirit, and to thrill my body through,
Just Folks |
