| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne: and rising again as buoyant as a swan. The rowers plied their
fifty oars; the white foam boiled up before the prow; the water
gurgled and bubbled in their wake; while Orpheus continued to
play so lively a strain of music, that the vessel seemed to
dance over the billows by way of keeping time to it. Thus
triumphantly did the Argo sail out of the harbor, amidst the
huzzas and good wishes of everybody except the wicked old
Pelias, who stood on a promontory, scowling at her, and wishing
that he could blow out of his lungs the tempest of wrath that
was in his heart, and so sink the galley with all on board.
When they had sailed above fifty miles over the sea, Lynceus
Tanglewood Tales |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Anabasis by Xenophon: to aid Cyrus, who enlisted Greek help to try and
take the throne from Artaxerxes, and the ensuing
return of the Greeks, in which Xenophon played a
leading role. This occurred between 401 B.C. and
March 399 B.C.
PREPARER'S NOTE
This was typed from Dakyns' series, "The Works of Xenophon," a
four-volume set. The complete list of Xenophon's works (though
there is doubt about some of these) is:
Work Number of books
The Anabasis 7
Anabasis |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Ruling Passion by Henry van Dyke: revealed.
To tell about some of these ruling passions, simply, clearly, and
concretely, is what I want to do in this book. The characters are
chosen, for the most part, among plain people, because their
feelings are expressed with fewer words and greater truth, not being
costumed for social effect. The scene is laid on Nature's stage
because I like to be out-of-doors, even when I am trying to think
and learning to write.
"Avalon," Princeton, July 22, 1901.
CONTENTS
I. A Lover of Music
|
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 Lily of the Valley by Honore de Balzac: dead body of Madame de Mortsauf with the utter insensibility which
nature shows for our catastrophes. Though the duke was an excellent
man he would no doubt play whist with Monsieur after the king had
retired. As for the duchess, she had long ago given her daughter the
first stab by writing to her of Lady Dudley.
My hurried journey was like a dream,--the dream of a ruined gambler; I
was in despair at having received no news. Had the confessor pushed
austerity so far as to exclude me from Clochegourde? I accused
Madeleine, Jacques, the Abbe Dominis, all, even Monsieur de Mortsauf.
Beyond Tours, as I came down the road bordered with poplars which
leads to Poncher, which I so much admired that first day of my search
The Lily of the Valley |
