| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Philebus by Plato: all things has the most perfect sufficiency, and is never in need of
anything else.
PROTARCHUS: Exactly.
SOCRATES: And did we not endeavour to make an imaginary separation of
wisdom and pleasure, assigning to each a distinct life, so that pleasure
was wholly excluded from wisdom, and wisdom in like manner had no part
whatever in pleasure?
PROTARCHUS: We did.
SOCRATES: And did we think that either of them alone would be sufficient?
PROTARCHUS: Certainly not.
SOCRATES: And if we erred in any point, then let any one who will, take up
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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 Under the Andes by Rex Stout: power of Desiree?
For perhaps a minute we remained motionless on our knees while
the king stood gazing at us, it seemed to me with an air of doubt.
Then slowly, and with a gait that smacked of majesty despite his
ungainly appearance and diminutive stature, he stalked across to
the doorway and disappeared in the corridor without.
Harry and I looked at each other, kneeling like two heathen
idols, and burst into unrestrained laughter. But with it was mixed
a portion of anger, and I turned to Desiree.
"In the name of Heaven, was that necessary?"
"You do it very prettily," said she, with a smile.
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