| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Psychology of Revolution by Gustave le Bon: liberty. To-day our working-men have completely surrendered it
to their unions.
To sum up: although the Republican motto has been little
applied it has exerted a very great influence. Of the French
Revolution practically nothing has remained in the popular mind
but the three celebrated words which sum up its gospel, and which
its armies spread over Europe.
BOOK II
THE RATIONAL, AFFECTIVE, MYSTIC, AND COLLECTIVE INFLUENCES ACTIVE
DURING THE REVOLUTION
CHAPTER I
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Gambara by Honore de Balzac: keep a miserable shop for secondhand food. She went in and sat down,
for she had come from Fontainebleau. She had walked fourteen leagues
that day, after begging her bread from Turin to Paris.
She frightened that terrible trio! Of all her wondrous beauty nothing
remained but her fine eyes, dimmed and sunken. The only thing faithful
to her was misfortune.
She was welcomed by the skilled old instrument mender, who greeted her
with unspeakable joy.
"Why, here you are, my poor Marianna!" said he, warmly. "During your
absence they sold up my instrument and my operas."
It would have been difficult to kill the fatted calf for the return of
Gambara |
