| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Charmides by Plato: have nowhere explained the nature of the change.' But is it not much more
improbable that he should have changed his opinions, and not stated in an
unmistakable manner that the most essential principle of his philosophy had
been reversed? It is true that a few of the dialogues, such as the
Republic and the Timaeus, or the Theaetetus and the Sophist, or the Meno
and the Apology, contain allusions to one another. But these allusions are
superficial and, except in the case of the Republic and the Laws, have no
philosophical importance. They do not affect the substance of the work.
It may be remarked further that several of the dialogues, such as the
Phaedrus, the Sophist, and the Parmenides, have more than one subject. But
it does not therefore follow that Plato intended one dialogue to succeed
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie: the end, they'd let me go.
"As a matter of fact, I guess that's what they did think at
first, and, in a way, it was dangerous for me. I learnt
afterwards that they nearly did away with me then and
there--there was never much chance of their 'letting me go'--but
the first man, who was the boss, preferred to keep me alive on
the chance of my having hidden them, and being able to tell where
if I recovered my memory. They watched me constantly for weeks.
Sometimes they'd ask me questions by the hour--I guess there was
nothing they didn't know about the third degree!--but somehow I
managed to hold my own. The strain of it was awful, though . . .
Secret Adversary |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Second Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling: fun was ended, and the Jungle People came up, starved and
weary, to the shrunken river,--tiger, bear, deer, buffalo,
and pig, all together,--drank the fouled waters, and hung above
them, too exhausted to move off.
The deer and the pig had tramped all day in search of something
better than dried bark and withered leaves. The buffaloes had
found no wallows to be cool in, and no green crops to steal.
The snakes had left the Jungle and come down to the river in
the hope of finding a stray frog. They curled round wet stones,
and never offered to strike when the nose of a rooting pig
dislodged them. The river-turtles had long ago been killed by
The Second Jungle Book |
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 The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum: "And I heard some of them say," said Tip, "that they intend to march here
and capture the castle and city of the Tin Woodman."
"Ah! we must not give them time to do that," said the Emperor, quickly; "we
will go at once and
130 Full page line-art drawing.
RENOVATING HIS MAJESTY, THE SCARECROW.
131
recapture the Emerald City and place the Scarecrow again upon his throne."
"I was sure you would help me," remarked the Scarecrow in a pleased voice.
"How large an army can you assemble?"
"We do not need an army," replied the Woodman. "We four, with the aid of my
The Marvelous Land of Oz |
