| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from An Open Letter on Translating by Dr. Martin Luther: already held them in contempt, as long as they are the kind of
people that they are - asses, I should say. And there are brazen
idiots among them who have never learned their own art of
sophistry - like Dr. Schmidt and Snot-Nose, and such like them.
They set themselves against me in this matter, which not only
transcends sophistry, but as St. Paul writes, all the wisdom and
understanding in the world as well. An ass truly does not have to
sing much as he is already known for his ears.
For you and our people, however, I shall show why I used the word
"sola" - even though in Romans 3 it wasn't "sola" I used but
"solum" or "tantum". That is how closely those asses have looked
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Pierre Grassou by Honore de Balzac: Vervelle.
"A good fellow, all round," replied Grassou. "His name is Cardot."
"Well, well! if that isn't a joke!" exclaimed Vervelle. "Cardot is our
notary too."
"Take care! don't move," said the painter.
"Do pray hold still, Antenor," said the wife. "If you move about
you'll make monsieur miss; you should just see him working, and then
you'd understand."
"Oh! why didn't you have me taught the arts?" said Mademoiselle
Vervelle to her parents.
"Virginie," said her mother, "a young person ought not to learn
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