| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: of fellowship to him.
If civilization had done nothing else for Tarzan of the
Apes, it had to some extent taught him to crave the society
of his own kind, and to feel with genuine pleasure the
congenial warmth of companionship. And in the same ratio
had it made any other life distasteful to him. It was difficult
to imagine a world without a friend--without a living thing
who spoke the new tongues which Tarzan had learned to
love so well. And so it was that Tarzan looked with little
relish upon the future he had mapped out for himself.
As he sat musing over his cigarette his eyes fell upon a
The Return of Tarzan |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Eryxias by Platonic Imitator: riches are a good, tell us what, in his opinion, is wealth.
ERASISTRATUS: Indeed, Socrates, I have no notion about wealth beyond that
which men commonly have. I suppose that wealth is a quantity of money
(compare Arist. Pol.); and this, I imagine, would also be Critias'
definition.
SOCRATES: Then now we have to consider, What is money? Or else later on
we shall be found to differ about the question. For instance, the
Carthaginians use money of this sort. Something which is about the size of
a stater is tied up in a small piece of leather: what it is, no one knows
but the makers. A seal is next set upon the leather, which then passes
into circulation, and he who has the largest number of such pieces is
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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 The Sportsman by Xenophon: road nets should be planted . . . etc."
[14] Al. "at convenient points or where paths converge." See Schneid.
s.v. {sumpheronta}.
[15] {sardonion}, Pollux, v. 31. Al. "fixing the stakes between the
edges."
Then he will play sentinel and go his rounds; if a prop or funnel
wants supporting, he will set it up; and when the hare comes with the
hounds behind her he will urge her forwards to the toils, with shout
and halloa thundering at her heels. When she is fairly entangled, he
is to calm the fury of the hounds, without touching them, by soothing,
encouraging tones. He is also to signal to the huntsman with a shout,
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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 The Wife, et al by Anton Chekhov: pale, grey, and quivering. He brought his fist down on the table
with a bang, and said in a hollow voice:
"I won't allow it!
At the same moment Pobyedimsky jumped up from his chair. He, too,
pale and angry, went up to Tatyana Ivanovna, and he, too, struck
the table with his fist.
"I . . . I won't allow it!" he said.
"What, what's the matter?" asked my uncle in surprise.
"I won't allow it!" repeated Fyodor, banging on the table.
My uncle jumped up and blinked nervously. He tried to speak, but
in his amazement and alarm could not utter a word; with an
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