| 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: are the same thing." Sic volo, sic iubeo, sit pro ratione
voluntas. (I will it, I command it; my will is reason enough) For
we are not going to become students and followers of the papists.
Rather we will become their judge and master. We, too, are going
to be proud and brag with these blockheads; and just as St. Paul
brags against his madly raving saints, I will brag over these
asses of mine! They are doctors? Me too. They are scholars? I
am as well. They are philosophers? And I. They are
dialecticians? I am too. They are lecturers? So am I. They
write books? So do I.
I will go even further with my bragging: I can exegete the psalms
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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 Koran: Said he, 'She desired me for my person.' And a witness from among
her family bore witness: 'If his shirt be rent from in front, then she
speaks the truth and he is of the liars; but if his shirt be rent from
behind, then she lies and he is of the truth tellers.'
And when he saw his shirt rent from behind he said, 'This is one
of your tricks; verily, your tricks are mighty! Joseph! turn aside
from this. And do thou, woman, ask pardon for thy fault; verily,
thou wert of the sinners.'
And women in the city said, 'The wife of the prince desires her
young man for his person; he has infatuated her with love: verily,
we see her in obvious error.' And when she heard of their
 The Koran |