| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tales of Unrest by Joseph Conrad: voice, "What nonsense!" Kayerts, his round eyes suffused with tears,
his fat cheeks quivering, rubbed his bald head, and declared. "This is
a splendid book. I had no idea there were such clever fellows in the
world." They also found some old copies of a home paper. That print
discussed what it was pleased to call "Our Colonial Expansion" in
high-flown language. It spoke much of the rights and duties of
civilization, of the sacredness of the civilizing work, and extolled
the merits of those who went about bringing light, and faith and
commerce to the dark places of the earth. Carlier and Kayerts read,
wondered, and began to think better of themselves. Carlier said one
evening, waving his hand about, "In a hundred years, there will be
Tales of Unrest |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Misalliance by George Bernard Shaw: road. Go the shortest way.
GUNNER. _[oppressed and disconcerted, hardly knows how to get out of
the room]_ Yes, sir. I-- _[He turns again, appealing to Tarleton]_
Maynt I have my mother's photographs back again? _[Mrs Tarleton
pricks up her ears]._
TARLETON. Eh? What? Oh, the photographs! Yes, yes, yes: take
them. _[Gunner takes them from the table, and is creeping away, when
Mrs Tarleton puts out her hand and stops him]._
MRS TARLETON. Whats this, John? What were you doing with his
mother's photographs?
TARLETON. Nothing, nothing. Never mind, Chickabiddy: it's all
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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 Egmont by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe: marched here, and another there; how they came over this height, and
halted near that mill; how many were left dead on this field, and how
many on that; how they press forward, and how one wins, and another
loses, without being able to comprehend what they are fighting about; how
a town is taken, how the citizens are put to the sword, and how it fares
with the poor women and innocent children. This is a grief and a trouble,
and then one thinks every moment, "Here they come! It will be our turn
next."
Soest. Therefore every citizen must be practised in the use of arms.
Jetter. Fine talking, indeed, for him who has a wife and children. And yet I
would rather hear of soldiers than see them.
Egmont |
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 Plutarch's Lives by A. H. Clough: him, and he would never believe. Thus, Sosius, you have the
life of Demosthenes, from such accounts as we have either read
or heard concerning him.
CICERO
It is generally said, that Helvia, the mother of Cicero, was
both well born and lived a fair life; but of his father nothing
is reported but in extremes. For whilst some would have him the
son of a fuller, and educated in that trade, others carry back
the origin of his family to Tullus Attius, an illustrious king
of the Volscians, who waged war not without honor against the
Romans. However, he who first of that house was surnamed Cicero
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