| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Dreams & Dust by Don Marquis: Each in his neighbor's eyes
Reads, while he flouts his heart's desire,
The knowledge that he lies.
Not one of us but had some pearls
And flung them to the swine,
Not one of us but had some gift--
Some spark of fire divine--
Each might have been God's minister
In the temple of some art--
Each feels his gift perverted move
Wormlike through his dry heart.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Fisherman's Luck by Henry van Dyke: of literary work, promised for the next number of THE SCRIBBLER’S
REVIEW; and suppose that in the midst of this labour the sad news
came to me that the fisherman had forgotten to leave any fish at our
cottage that morning. Should my innocent babes and my devoted wife
be left to perish of starvation while I continued my poetical
comparison of the two Williams, Shakspeare and Watson? Inhuman
selfishness! Of course it was my plain duty to sacrifice my
inclinations, and get my fly-rod, and row away across the bay, with
a deceptive appearance of cheerfulness, to catch a basket of trout
in--
III
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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 Disputation of the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences by Dr. Martin Luther: 6. [31] Quam rarus est vere penitens, tam rarus est vere
indulgentias redimens, i. e. rarissimus.
7. [32] Damnabuntur ineternum cum suis magistris, qui per literas
veniarum securos sese credunt de sua salute.
8. [33] Cavendi sunt nimis, qui dicunt venias illas Pape donum
esse illud dei inestimabile, quo reconciliatur homo deo.
9. [34] Gratie enim ille veniales tantum respiciunt penas
satisfactionis sacramentalis ab homine constitutas.
10. [35] Non christiana predicant, qui docent, quod redempturis
animas vel confessionalia non sit necessaria contritio.
11. [36] Quilibet christianus vere compunctus habet remissionem
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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 Lesser Hippias by Plato: clearly than I could in public my views about these and also about other
heroes. I say that Homer intended Achilles to be the bravest of the men
who went to Troy, Nestor the wisest, and Odysseus the wiliest.
SOCRATES: O rare Hippias, will you be so good as not to laugh, if I find a
difficulty in following you, and repeat my questions several times over?
Please to answer me kindly and gently.
HIPPIAS: I should be greatly ashamed of myself, Socrates, if I, who teach
others and take money of them, could not, when I was asked by you, answer
in a civil and agreeable manner.
SOCRATES: Thank you: the fact is, that I seemed to understand what you
meant when you said that the poet intended Achilles to be the bravest of
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