| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Vailima Prayers & Sabbath Morn by Robert Louis Stevenson: marked for sorrow, strong to endure it.
We thank Thee and praise Thee; and in the words of him to whom this
day is sacred, close our oblation.
FOR SELF-BLAME
LORD, enlighten us to see the beam that is in our own eye, and
blind us to the mote that is in our brother's. Let us feel our
offences with our hands, make them great and bright before us like
the sun, make us eat them and drink them for our diet. Blind us to
the offences of our beloved, cleanse them from our memories, take
them out of our mouths for ever. Let all here before Thee carry
and measure with the false balances of love, and be in their own
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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 Maid Marian by Thomas Love Peacock: catch a red-fleshed trout, love lies bleeding under the water:
an occult quality, which can only act in the stationary waters of a lake,
being neutralised by the rapid transition of those of a stream."
"And why is the trout shyer for that?" asked Sir Ralph.
"Do you not see?" said brother Michael. "The virtues of both
lovers diffuse themselves through the lake. The infusion
of masculine valour makes the fish active and sanguineous:
the infusion of maiden modesty makes him coy and hard to win:
and you shall find through life, the fish which is most
easily hooked is not the best worth dishing. But yonder are
the towers of Arlingford."
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