| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Records of a Family of Engineers by Robert Louis Stevenson: uncommonly boisterous, and so cold that the thermometer seldom
exceeded 40 degrees, while the barometer was generally about
29.50. We had not only hail and sleet, but the snow on the
last day of May lay on the decks and rigging of the ship to
the depth of about three inches; and, although now entering
upon the month of June, the length of the day was the chief
indication of summer. Yet such is the effect of habit, and
such was the expertness of the landing-master's crew, that,
even in this description of weather, seldom a tide's work was
lost. Such was the ardour and zeal of the heads of the
several departments at the rock, including Mr. Peter Logan,
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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 Magic of Oz by L. Frank Baum: earnestly as the others, for if he could discover it, he meant to hide
it where the Wizard could never find it, because if the Wizard changed
him back to his proper form, along with the others, he would then be
recognized as Ruggedo the Nome, and they would send him out of the
Land of Oz and so ruin all his hopes of conquest.
Ruggedo was not really sorry, now that he thought about it, that
Kiki had transformed all these Oz folks. The forest beasts, it was
true, had been so frightened that they would now never consent to be
transformed into men, but Kiki could transform them against their
will, and once they were all in human forms, it would not be
impossible to induce them to conquer the Oz people.
The Magic of Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Hiero by Xenophon: scantiest share.[3] Seeing his life is such, he cannot even trust his
meats and drinks, but he must bid his serving-men before the feast
begins, or ever the libation to the gods is poured,[4] to taste the
viands, out of sheer mistrust there may be mischief lurking in the cup
or platter.[5]
[3] Or, "from this . . . is almost absolutely debarred."
[4] "Or ever grace is said."
[5] Cf. "Cyrop." I. iii. 4.
Once more, the rest of mankind find in their fatherland a treasure
worth all else beside. The citizens form their own body-guard[6]
without pay or service-money against slaves and against evil-doers. It
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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 Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche: "could be"! He was proud of having DISCOVERED a new faculty in
man, the faculty of synthetic judgment a priori. Granting that he
deceived himself in this matter; the development and rapid
flourishing of German philosophy depended nevertheless on his
pride, and on the eager rivalry of the younger generation to
discover if possible something--at all events "new faculties"--of
which to be still prouder!--But let us reflect for a moment--it
is high time to do so. "How are synthetic judgments a priori
POSSIBLE?" Kant asks himself--and what is really his answer? "BY
MEANS OF A MEANS (faculty)"--but unfortunately not in five words,
but so circumstantially, imposingly, and with such display of
Beyond Good and Evil |
