| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from King James Bible: Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings
he took, and smote them, and slew them.
JOS 11:18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.
JOS 11:19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of
Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took
in battle.
JOS 11:20 For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they
should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them
utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy
them, as the LORD commanded Moses.
JOS 11:21 And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from
King James Bible |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians by Martin Luther: Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount
Sinai in Arabia.
In this allegory Abraham represents God. Abraham had two sons, born
respectively of Hagar and Sarah. The two women represent the two
Testaments. The Old Testament is Mount Sinai, the bondwoman, Hagar.
The Arabians call Mount Sinai Agar. It may be that the similarity of these
two names gave Paul his idea for this allegory. As Hagar bore Abraham a
son who was not an heir but a servant, so Sinai, the Law, the allegorical
Hagar, bore God a carnal and servile people of the Law without promise.
The Law has a promise but it is a conditional promise, depending upon
whether people fulfill the Law.
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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 Shakespeare's Sonnets by William Shakespeare: Sweet flattery! then she loves but me alone.
XLIII
When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see,
For all the day they view things unrespected;
But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee,
And darkly bright, are bright in dark directed.
Then thou, whose shadow shadows doth make bright,
How would thy shadow's form form happy show
To the clear day with thy much clearer light,
When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so!
How would, I say, mine eyes be blessed made
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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 Juana by Honore de Balzac: a heart of gold, and full of delicacy, had made the child religious,
and as pure as she was beautiful. Juana might well become the wife of
either a great seigneur or a wealthy merchant; she lacked no virtue
necessary to the highest destiny. Perez had intended taking her to
Madrid and marrying her to some grandee, but the events of the present
war delayed the fulfilment of this project.
"I don't know where the Marana now is," said Perez, ending the above
history, "but in whatever quarter of the world she may be living, when
she hears of the occupation of our province by your armies, and of the
siege of Tarragona, she will assuredly set out at once to come here
and see to her daughter's safety."
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