| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Euthyphro by Plato: of the nature of right and truth. A man must be an extraordinary man, and
have made great strides in wisdom, before he could have seen his way to
bring such an action.
EUTHYPHRO: Indeed, Socrates, he must.
SOCRATES: I suppose that the man whom your father murdered was one of your
relatives--clearly he was; for if he had been a stranger you would never
have thought of prosecuting him.
EUTHYPHRO: I am amused, Socrates, at your making a distinction between one
who is a relation and one who is not a relation; for surely the pollution
is the same in either case, if you knowingly associate with the murderer
when you ought to clear yourself and him by proceeding against him. The
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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 Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle: given me a most craving appetite for victuals and drink.
Now I pray Saint Dunstan that he send me speedily some meat and beer."
It seemed as though Saint Dunstan was like to answer his prayer,
for along the road came plodding a certain cobbler, one Quince,
of Derby, who had been to take a pair of shoes to a farmer nigh
Kirk Langly, and was now coming back home again, with a fair boiled
capon in his pouch and a stout pottle of beer by his side, which same
the farmer had given him for joy of such a stout pair of shoon.
Good Quince was an honest fellow, but his wits were somewhat of
the heavy sort, like unbaked dough, so that the only thing that was
in his mind was, "Three shillings sixpence ha'penny for thy shoon,
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Art of Writing by Robert Louis Stevenson: LACEDOE-MONIUM TARENTUM,' for a case in point - I feel as if
I should enter at last into the full enjoyment of the best of
human verses.
But, again, the five feet are all iambic, or supposed to be;
by the mere count of syllables the four groups cannot be all
iambic; as a question of elegance, I doubt if any one of them
requires to be so; and I am certain that for choice no two of
them should scan the same. The singular beauty of the verse
analysed above is due, so far as analysis can carry us, part,
indeed, to the clever repetition of L, D, and N, but part to
this variety of scansion in the groups. The groups which,
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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 Kenilworth by Walter Scott: how is she to look back upon me, who am her jailor as it were, to
detain her here against her will, keeping her a caterpillar on an
old wall, when she would fain be a painted butterfly in a court
garden?"
"Fear not her displeasure, man," said Varney. "I will show her
all thou hast done in this matter was good service, both to my
lord and her; and when she chips the egg-shell and walks alone,
she shall own we have hatched her greatness."
"Look to yourself, Master Varney," said Foster, "you may
misreckon foully in this matter. She gave you but a frosty
reception this morning, and, I think, looks on you, as well as
Kenilworth |
