| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave by Frederick Douglass: to whip every Monday morning. He did this to alarm
their fears, and strike terror into those who escaped.
His plan was to whip for the smallest offences, to
prevent the commission of large ones. Mr. Hopkins
could always find some excuse for whipping a slave.
It would astonish one, unaccustomed to a slave-
holding life, to see with what wonderful ease a slave-
holder can find things, of which to make occasion
to whip a slave. A mere look, word, or motion,--a
mistake, accident, or want of power,--are all matters
for which a slave may be whipped at any time. Does
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Margret Howth: A Story of To-day by Rebecca Harding Davis: whole turn-out, it had such a make-shift look altogether. The
reins were twisted rope, the wheels uneven. It went jolting
along in such a careless, jolly way, as if it would not care in
the least, should it go to pieces any minute just there in the
road. The donkey that drew it was bony and blind of one eye; but
he winked the other knowingly at you, to ask if you saw the joke
of the thing. Even the voice of the owner of the establishment,
chirruping some idle song, as I told you, was one of the
cheeriest sounds you ever heard. Joel, up at the barn, forgot
his dignity to salute it with a prolonged "Hillo!" and presently
appeared at the gate.
Margret Howth: A Story of To-day |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Cavalry General by Xenophon: back.
As to your lieutenant,[7] it is every way important to appoint a good
man to this post, whose bravery will tell; and in case of need at any
time to charge the enemy, the cheering accents of his voice will
infuse strength into those in front; or when the critical moment of
retreat arrives, his sage conduct in retiring will go far, we may well
conclude, towards saving his division.[8]
[7] {ton aphegoumenon}, lit. "him who leads back" (a function which
would devolve upon the {ouragos} under many circumstances). Cf.
"Cyrop." II. iii. 21; "Hell." IV. viii. 37; Plat. "Laws," 760 D. =
our "officer serre-file," to some extent. So Courier: "Celui qui
|
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 The Koran: haply ye may have some sense.
He it is who quickens and kills, and when He decrees a matter,
then He only says to it, 'BE,' and it is.
Hast thou not seen those who wrangle concerning the signs of God how
they are turned away? Those who call the Book, and what we have sent
our apostles with, a lie, soon shall they know-when the fetters are on
their necks and the chains, as they are dragged into hell!-then in the
fire shall they be baked.
Then it shall be said to them, 'Where is what ye did associate
beside God?' They shall say, 'They have strayed away from us; nay,
we did not call before upon anything!'-thus does God lead the
The Koran |
