| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Economist by Xenophon: the wise and prudent will pay service to the gods on behalf of moist
fruits and dry,[25] on behalf of cattle and horses, sheep and goats;
nay, on behalf of all their possessions, great and small, without
exception.
[24] See "Hell." III. i. 16 foll., of Dercylidas.
[25] "Every kind of produce, succulent (like the grape and olive) or
dry (like wheat and barley, etc.)"
VI
Your words (Critobulus answered) command my entire sympathy, when you
bid us endeavour to begin each work with heaven's help,[1] seeing that
the gods hold in their hands the issues alike of peace and war. So at
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum: you a pretty doll in exchange for a lock of your hair, and that after
you had received the doll you smashed it into pieces and destroyed it.
Could you say that I had not given you a pretty doll?"
"No," answered Dorothy.
"And could you, in fairness, ask me to return to you the lock of hair,
just because you had smashed the doll?"
"No," said Dorothy, again.
"Of course not," the Nome King returned. "Nor will I give up the
Queen and her children because the King of Ev destroyed his long life
by jumping into the sea. They belong to me and I shall keep them."
"But you are treating them cruelly," said Ozma, who was much
Ozma of Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Case of the Registered Letter by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: natural excitement that a murder would create. Now a family,
expecting to make a pleasure excursion with a friend in a day or
two and suddenly hearing that this friend had been found murdered
in his lodgings, would be inclined to take some little personal
interest in the matter. These people must have been in town and at
home, for the excursion spoken of in the letter was to occur two
days after the murder. Miss Roemer's remark about the dread that
some people have as to any connection with the police, is true to
a limited extent only. It is true only of the ignorant mind, not
of a man presumably well-to-do and properly educated. I do not
understand why the man to whom this letter was addressed has not
|
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 Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy: the chief constituent of the passion, and sometimes
its only one! The reddleman's disinterestedness was
so well deserving of respect that it overshot respect
by being barely comprehended; and she almost thought it absurd.
"Then we are both of one mind at last," she said.
"Yes," replied Venn gloomily. "But if you would
tell me, miss, why you take such an interest in her,
I should be easier. It is so sudden and strange."
Eustacia appeared at a loss. "I cannot tell you that,
reddleman," she said coldly.
Venn said no more. He pocketed the letter, and,
Return of the Native |
