| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Ancient Regime by Charles Kingsley: M. de Tocqueville has a whole chapter, and a very remarkable one,
which appears at first sight to militate against my belief--a
chapter "showing that France was the country in which men had become
most alike."
"The men," he says, "of that time, especially those belonging to the
upper and middle ranks of society, who alone were at all
conspicuous, were all exactly alike."
And it must be allowed, that if this were true of the upper and
middle classes, it must have been still more true of the mass of the
lowest population, who, being most animal, are always most moulded--
or rather crushed--by their own circumstances, by public opinion,
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Parmenides by Plato: takes place into either of two states; for the change is not from the state
of rest as such, nor from the state of motion as such; but there is this
curious nature which we call the moment lying between rest and motion, not
being in any time; and into this and out of this what is in motion changes
into rest, and what is at rest into motion.
So it appears.
And the one then, since it is at rest and also in motion, will change to
either, for only in this way can it be in both. And in changing it changes
in a moment, and when it is changing it will be in no time, and will not
then be either in motion or at rest.
It will not.
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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 Essays of Francis Bacon by Francis Bacon: blem, no doubt, to show how safe it is for mon-
archs, to make sure of the good will of common
people. To give moderate liberty for griefs and dis-
contentments to evaporate (so it be without too
great insolency or bravery), is a safe way. For he
that turneth the humors back, and maketh the
wound bleed inwards, endangereth malign ulcers,
and pernicious imposthumations.
The part of Epimetheus mought well become
Prometheus, in the case of discontentments: for
there is not a better provision against them. Epime-
Essays of Francis Bacon |
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 Heritage of the Desert by Zane Grey: sombre group of men.
"Leave him here," said one, addressing a gray-bearded giant. "He's the
fellow sent into southern Utah to spy out the cattle thieves. He's all
but dead. Dene's outlaws are after him. Don't cross Dene."
The stately answer might have come from a Scottish Covenanter or a
follower of Cromwell.
"Martin Cole, I will not go a hair's-breadth out of my way for Dene or
any other man. You forget your religion. I see my duty to God."
"Yes, August Naab, I know," replied the little man, bitterly. "You would
cast the Scriptures in my teeth, and liken this man to one who went down
from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves. But I've suffered
The Heritage of the Desert |
