| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Lay Morals by Robert Louis Stevenson: this gradual attrition of life, in which everything pointed
and characteristic is being rubbed down, till the whole world
begins to slip between our fingers in smooth
undistinguishable sands, from this, we say, it follows that
we must not attempt to join MR. TALLER in his simple division
of students into LAW, DIVINITY, and MEDICAL. Nowadays the
Faculties may shake hands over their follies; and, like Mrs.
Frail and Mrs. Foresight (in LOVE FOR LOVE) they may stand in
the doors of opposite class-rooms, crying: 'Sister, Sister -
Sister everyway!' A few restrictions, indeed, remain to
influence the followers of individual branches of study. The
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Desert Gold by Zane Grey: of his Sooner wilderness. The Indian's eyes were always black
and mystic, but this Yak's encompassed all the tragic desolation
of the desert. They were fixed on Gale, moved only when he moved.
The Indian was short and broad, and his body showed unusual
muscular development, although he seemed greatly emaciated from
starvation or illness.
Gale resumed his homeward journey. When he got through the pass
he faced a great depression, as rough as if millions of gigantic
spikes had been driven by the hammer of Thorn into a seamed and
cracked floor. This was Altar Valley. It was a chaos of array's,
canyons, rocks, and ridges all mantled with cactus, and at its
Desert Gold |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Blue Flower by Henry van Dyke: cisterns there was scanty water.
"Then there came one from a distant country who was very
sorrowful to see the desolation. He told the people that it
was vain to dig new cisterns and to keep the channels and
trenches clean; for the water had come only from above. The
Source must be found again and reopened. The river would not
flow unless they traced it back to the spring, and visited it
continually, and offered prayers and praises beside it without
ceasing. Then the spring would rise to an outpouring, and the
water would run down plentifully to make the gardens blossom
and the city rejoice.
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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 Tour Through Eastern Counties of England by Daniel Defoe: to Chelmsford, mentioned before, and Ingerstone, five miles west,
which I mention again, because in the parish church of this town
are to be seen the ancient monuments of the noble family of Petre,
whose seat and large estate lie in the neighbourhood, and whose
whole family, by a constant series of beneficent actions to the
poor, and bounty upon all charitable occasions, have gained an
affectionate esteem through all that part of the country such as no
prejudice of religion could wear out, or perhaps ever may; and I
must confess, I think, need not, for good and great actions command
our respect, let the opinions of the persons be otherwise what they
will.
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