| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Hiero by Xenophon: lumanter}. For the sentiment cf. "Cyrop." III. i. 25.
And if you know anything of war, Simonides, and war's alarms; if it
was your fortune ever to be posted close to the enemy's lines,[9] try
to recall to mind what sort of meals you made at those times, with
what sort of slumber you courted rest. Be assured, there are no pains
you then experienced, no horrors to compare with those that crowd upon
the despot, who sees or seems to see fierce eyes of enemies glare at
him, not face to face alone, but from every side.
[9] Or, "in the van of battle, opposite the hostile lines."
He had spoken so far, when Simonides took up the thread of the
discourse, replying: Excellently put. A part I must admit, of what you
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: raiment and cast that care on the Lord, and rejoice in penury as
no lover of the world could rejoice, were he rolling in riches,
who have laid up for themselves plenteously the riches of virtue,
and are fed by the hope of good things without end, may more
fitly be termed rich than thou, or any other earthly kingdom.
But, God working with thee, thou shalt lay hold on such spiritual
abundance that, if thou keep it in safety and ever rightfully
desire more, thou shalt never wish to dispend any part of it.
This is true abundance: but the mass of material riches will
damage rather than benefit its friends. Meetly therefore called
I it the extreme of poverty, which the lovers of heavenly
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: as wild as harpies. I never saw a circle of such hateful faces;
and there was the man in the middle, with a kind of black sneering
coolness--frightened too, I could see that--but carrying it
off, sir, really like Satan. `If you choose to make capital out
of this accident,' said he, `I am naturally helpless. No
gentleman but wishes to avoid a scene,' says he. `Name your
figure.' Well, we screwed him up to a hundred pounds for the
child's family; he would have clearly liked to stick out; but
there was something about the lot of us that meant mischief, and
at last he struck. The next thing was to get the money; and where
do you think he carried us but to that place with the
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde |
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 Mirror of the Sea by Joseph Conrad: XXVI.
The West Wind reigns over the seas surrounding the coasts of these
kingdoms; and from the gateways of the channels, from promontories
as if from watch-towers, from estuaries of rivers as if from
postern gates, from passage-ways, inlets, straits, firths, the
garrison of the Isle and the crews of the ships going and returning
look to the westward to judge by the varied splendours of his
sunset mantle the mood of that arbitrary ruler. The end of the day
is the time to gaze at the kingly face of the Westerly Weather, who
is the arbiter of ships' destinies. Benignant and splendid, or
splendid and sinister, the western sky reflects the hidden purposes
The Mirror of the Sea |
