| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Memorabilia by Xenophon: commonest theme of song, how for his wisdom's sake Odysseus envied him
and slew him?
[51] See Virg. "Aen." ii. 90; Hygin. 105; Philostr. "Her." x.
Euth. That tale also is current.
Soc. And how many others, pray, do you suppose have been seized on
account of their wisdom, and despatched to the great king and at his
court enslaved?[52]
[52] Cf. Herod. iii. 129.
Well, prosperity, well-being[53] (he exclaimed), must surely be a
blessing, and that the most indisputable, Socrates?
[53] {to eudaimonein}, "happiness." Cf. Herod. i. 86.
The Memorabilia |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte: Again she brightened up, and answered gaily - 'Oh! he made up to an
elderly spinster, and married her, not long since; weighing her
heavy purse against her faded charms, and expecting to find that
solace in gold which was denied him in love - ha, ha!'
'Well, and I think that's all - except Mr. Weston: what is he
doing?'
'I don't know, I'm sure. He's gone from Horton.'
'How long since? and where is he gone to?'
'I know nothing about him,' replied she, yawning - 'except that he
went about a month ago - I never asked where' (I would have asked
whether it was to a living or merely another curacy, but thought it
Agnes Grey |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Danny's Own Story by Don Marquis: something with them. But she didn't. She jest
looked it.
"Why did you never tell me this--that there was
a child?" says the doctor, very eager.
"Wait," says Colonel Tom, "let me tell the story
in my own way."
Which he done it. It seems when he had went to
Galesburg this here child had only been born a few
days. And Miss Lucy was still sick. And the
kid itself was sick, and liable to die any minute, by
the looks of things.
|
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 Pellucidar by Edgar Rice Burroughs: of large hyena-like beasts--hyaena spelaeus, Perry calls
them--who were busy among the corpses of the cave
men fallen in battle. The ugly creatures were far from
the cowardly things that our own hyenas are reputed
to be; they stood their ground with bared fangs as we
approached them. But, as I was later to learn, so for-
midable are the brute-folk that there are few even of
the larger carnivora that will not make way for them
when they go abroad. So the hyenas moved a little
from our line of march, closing in again upon their feasts
when we had passed.
Pellucidar |
