| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe: upon me, 'Will you take me, madam?'
'That's not a fair question,' says I, 'after what you have said;
however, lest you should think I wait only for a recantation
of it, I shall answer you plainly, No, not I; my business is of
another kind with you, and I did not expect you would have
turned my serious application to you, in my own distracted
case, into a comedy.'
'Why, madam,' says he, 'my case is as distracted as yours can
be, and I stand in as much need of advice as you do, for I think
if I have not relief somewhere, I shall be made myself, and I
know not what course to take, I protest to you.'
Moll Flanders |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Foolish Virgin by Thomas Dixon: magician!"
There could be no doubt about the practical use to
which the shop was being put. Its one small window
opened on a fire escape in the narrow court in the
rear. A skylight in the middle opened with a hinge on
the roof and flooded the space with perfect light. An
iron ladder swung from the skylight and was hooked up
against the ceiling by a hasp fastened to a staple
over a work-bench. On one side of the room was a tiny
blacksmith's forge, an anvil, hammers and a complete
set of tools for working in rough iron. A small
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Twilight Land by Howard Pyle: the traveller. He was clad in a weather-stained coat, and he wore
dusty boots, and the servant bade him good-morning.
How should the servant know that it was an angel whom he beheld,
and not a common wayfarer?
"Whither away, comrade," asked the traveller.
"Out in the world," said the servant, "to seek my fortune. And
what I want to know is this--will you guide me to where I can
find the fruit of happiness?"
"You ask a great thing of me," said the other; "nevertheless,
since you do ask it, it is not for me to refuse, though I may
tell you that many a man has sought for that fruit, and few
|
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 Memorabilia by Xenophon: attached to Euthydemus,[16] aware too that he was endeavouring to deal
by him after the manner of those wantons whose love is carnal of the
body. From this endeavour he tried to deter him, pointing out how
illiberal a thing it was, how ill befitting a man of honour to appear
as a beggar before him whom he loved, in whose eyes he would fain be
precious, ever petitioning for something base to give and base to get.
[16] See below, IV. ii. 1 (if the same person).
But when this reasoning fell on deaf ears and Critias refused to be
turned aside, Socrates, as the story goes, took occasion of the
presence of a whole company and of Euthydemus to remark that Critias
appeared to be suffering from a swinish affection, or else why this
The Memorabilia |
