| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Historical Lecturers and Essays by Charles Kingsley: hereafter. God would never, as I hold, have inspired man with that
rich imagination had He not meant to translate, some day, that
imagination into fact.
The very greatness of the idea, beyond what a single mind or
generation can grasp, will ensure failure on failure--follies,
fanaticisms, disappointments, even crimes, bloodshed, hasty furies,
as of children baulked of their holiday.
But it will be at last fulfilled, filled full, and perfected; not
perhaps here, or among our peoples, or any people which now exist on
earth: but in some future civilisation--it may be in far lands
beyond the sea--when all that you and we have made and done shall be
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Moral Emblems by Robert Louis Stevenson: At Davos on the Hill.
They burned the nightly taper;
But now the work is ripe -
Observe the costly paper,
Remark the perfect type!
MORAL EMBLEMS I
Poem: I
See how the children in the print
Bound on the book to see what's in 't!
O, like these pretty babes, may you
Seize and APPLY this volume too!
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