| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Silas Marner by George Eliot: he had no cause to fight. He saw himself with all his happiness
centred on his own hearth, while Nancy would smile on him as he
played with the children.
And that other child--not on the hearth--he would not forget it;
he would see that it was well provided for. That was a father's
duty.
PART TWO
CHAPTER XVI
It was a bright autumn Sunday, sixteen years after Silas Marner had
found his new treasure on the hearth. The bells of the old Raveloe
church were ringing the cheerful peal which told that the morning
Silas Marner |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Economist by Xenophon: the actual dwelling-place?[6]
[6] Lit. "is it synonymous with dwelling-place, or is all that a man
possesses outside his dwelling-place part of his house or estate?"
Crit. Certainly, in my opinion at any rate, everything which a man has
got, even though some portion of it may lie in another part of the
world from that in which he lives,[7] forms part of his estate.
[7] Lit. "not even in the same state or city."
Soc. "Has got"? but he may have got enemies?
Crit. Yes, I am afraid some people have got a great many.
Soc. Then shall we say that a man's enemies form part of his
possessions?
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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 Tattine by Ruth Ogden [Mrs. Charles W. Ide]: farms within tin miles of us."
And so, nothing loth, the little party filed out of the house, and after all
hands had assisted in unharnessing Barney and tying him into his stall, with a
manger-full of sweet, crisp hay for his dinner, they followed Mrs. Kirk's lead
to the little pond at the foot of the apple-orchard. And then what did they
see! but a truly beautiful great flock of white geese. Some were sailing
gracefully around the pond, some were pluming their snowy breasts on the shore
beside it, and three, the finest of them all, and each with a bow of ribbon
tied round its long neck, were confined within a little picket-fence apart
from the others.
"Why, what beauties, Mrs. Kirk!" exclaimed Tattine, the minute she spied them,
|
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 She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith: believe be begins to find out his mistake. But it's too soon quite to
undeceive him.
MARLOW. Pray, child, answer me one question. What are you, and what
may your business in this house be?
MISS HARDCASTLE. A relation of the family, sir.
MARLOW. What, a poor relation.
MISS HARDCASTLE. Yes, sir. A poor relation, appointed to keep the
keys, and to see that the guests want nothing in my power to give them.
MARLOW. That is, you act as the bar-maid of this inn.
MISS HARDCASTLE. Inn! O law----what brought that in your head? One
of the best families in the country keep an inn--Ha! ha! ha! old Mr.
She Stoops to Conquer |
