| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Within the Tides by Joseph Conrad: defenceless body of his friend. Cut off. Perhaps with the same
knife which . . . The head of one trembled; the other was bent
double, and their eyes were red and bleared, their infamous claws
unsteady. . . It must have been in this very room too, for Tom
could not have been killed in the open and brought in here
afterwards. Of that Byrne was certain. Yet those devilish crones
could not have killed him themselves even by taking him unawares -
and Tom would be always on his guard of course. Tom was a very
wide awake wary man when engaged on any service. . . And in fact
how did they murder him? Who did? In what way?
Byrne jumped up, snatched the lamp off the table, and stooped
Within the Tides |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Othello by William Shakespeare: From whence you haue them. You are iealious now,
That this is from some Mistris, some remembrance;
No, in good troth Bianca
Bian. Why, who's is it?
Cassio. I know not neither:
I found it in my Chamber,
I like the worke well; Ere it be demanded
(As like enough it will) I would haue it coppied:
Take it, and doo't, and leaue me for this time
Bian. Leaue you? Wherefore?
Cassio. I do attend heere on the Generall,
Othello |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson: made as if to rise.
But Robin only held out his hand as if to ask for silence, and
struck into the slow measure of a pibroch. It was a fine piece of
music in itself, and nobly played; but it seems, besides, it was
a piece peculiar to the Appin Stewarts and a chief favourite with
Alan. The first notes were scarce out, before there came a
change in his face; when the time quickened, he seemed to grow
restless in his seat; and long before that piece was at an end,
the last signs of his anger died from him, and he had no thought
but for the music.
"Robin Oig," he said, when it was done, "ye are a great piper. I
Kidnapped |
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 On Horsemanship by Xenophon: thoroughly in all that concerns the treatment of the horse. In the
first place, then, the groom should know that he is never to knot the
halter[1] at the point where the headstall is attached to the horse's
head. By constantly rubbing his head against the manger, if the halter
does not sit quite loose about his ears, the horse will be constantly
injuring himself;[2] and with sores so set up, it is inevitable that
he should show peevishness, while being bitted or rubbed down.
[1] Lit. "by which the horse is tied to the manger"; "licol d'ecurie."
[2] Al. "in nine cases out of ten he rubs his head . . . and ten to
one will make a sore."
It is desirable that the groom should be ordered to carry out the dung
On Horsemanship |
