Today's Stichomancy for Robert Frost
| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Criminal Sociology by Enrico Ferri: the utmost severity.'' Dio Cassius (``Hist. Rom.,'' lxxvi. 16)
says that in the city of Rome alone, after the law of Septimus
Severus, there were three thousand charges of adultery. But the
stringent laws against these crimes continued to the days of
Justinian, which shows that the crimes had not been checked; and,
as Gibbon says (``Decline and Fall,'' ch. 44), the Scatinian law
against ``venus nefanda'' had fallen into abeyance through lapse
of time and the multitude of offenders. Yet we see in our own
days, as in France, that there are some who would oppose celibacy
with no other remedy than a law passed for the purpose.
Since medival times the increasing gentleness of manners
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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 Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson: a poor old man whose face this very day hath stabbed me like a
dagger. And for this morning, I did but design to do myself
credit, and get fame to marry with, and, behold! I have brought
about the death of your dear kinsman that was good to me. And what
besides, I know not. For, alas! I may have set York upon the
throne, and that may be the worser cause, and may do hurt to
England. O, madam, I do see my sin. I am unfit for life. I will,
for penance sake and to avoid worse evil, once I have finished this
adventure, get me to a cloister. I will forswear Joanna and the
trade of arms. I will be a friar, and pray for your good kinsman's
spirit all my days."
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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 On Horsemanship by Xenophon: than those of stiffer build.
[15] Lit. "all horses bend their legs more flexibly as time advances."
Coming to the thighs below the shoulder-blades,[16] or arms, these if
thick and muscular present a stronger and handsomer appearance, just
as in the case of a human being. Again, a comparatively broad chest is
better alike for strength and beauty, and better adapted to carry the
legs well asunder, so that they will not overlap and interfere with
one another. Again, the neck should not be set on dropping forward
from the chest, like a boar's, but, like that of a game-cock rather,
it should shoot upwards to the crest, and be slack[17] along the
curvature; whilst the head should be bony and the jawbone small. In
On Horsemanship |
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 Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare: Iul. A rime, I learne euen now
Of one I dan'st withall.
One cals within, Iuliet.
Nur. Anon, anon:
Come let's away, the strangers all are gone.
Exeunt.
Chorus. Now old desire doth in his death bed lie,
And yong affection gapes to be his Heire,
That faire, for which Loue gron'd for and would die,
With tender Iuliet matcht, is now not faire.
Now Romeo is beloued, and Loues againe,
Romeo and Juliet |
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