| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Phaedrus by Plato: instances of a Diotima or an Aspasia), seeing that, even as to personal
beauty, her place was taken by young mankind instead of womankind, he tries
to work out the problem of love without regard to the distinctions of
nature. And full of the evils which he recognized as flowing from the
spurious form of love, he proceeds with a deep meaning, though partly in
joke, to show that the 'non-lover's' love is better than the 'lover's.'
We may raise the same question in another form: Is marriage preferable
with or without love? 'Among ourselves,' as we may say, a little parodying
the words of Pausanias in the Symposium, 'there would be one answer to this
question: the practice and feeling of some foreign countries appears to be
more doubtful.' Suppose a modern Socrates, in defiance of the received
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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 Secret Places of the Heart by H. G. Wells: extremely pretty young woman of five or six and twenty became
visible standing on one of the great prostrate stones in the
centre of the place. She was a black-haired, sun-burnt
individual and she stood with her arms akimbo, quite frankly
amused at the disappearance of Master Anthony, and offering
no sort of help for his recovery. On the greensward before
her stood the paterfamilias of the family automobile, and he
was making a trumpet with his hands in order to repeat the
name of Anthony with greater effect. A short lady in grey
emerged from among the encircling megaliths, and one or two
other feminine personalities produced effects of movement
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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 Alexandria and her Schools by Charles Kingsley: Arabs is true. Their food was green lizards; they buried their infant
daughters alive; nay, some of them feasted on dead carcases, and drank
blood; while others slew their kinsfolk, and thought themselves great
and valiant, when by so doing they became possessed of more property.
They were clothed with hair garments, they knew not good from evil, and
made no distinction between that which was lawful and unlawful. Such
was our state; but God in his mercy has sent us, by a holy prophet, a
sacred volume, which teaches us the true faith."
These words, I think, show us the secret of Islam. They are a just
comment on that short and rugged chapter of the Koran which is said to
have been Mohammed's first attempt either at prophecy or writing; when,
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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 When the World Shook by H. Rider Haggard: graceful in shape and that her hands were peculiarly delicate.
Afterwards in the drawing-room her father, with whom I had
talked at the table, introduced me to her, saying:
"My daughter is the real archaeologist, Mr. Arbuthnot, and I
think if you ask her, she may be able to help you."
Then he bustled away to speak to some of his important guests,
from whom I think he was seeking political information.
"My father exaggerates," she said in a soft and very
sympathetic voice, "but perhaps"--and she motioned me to a seat
at her side.
Then we talked of the places and things that I more
When the World Shook |
