| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The First Men In The Moon by H. G. Wells: some god upon a lotus leaf, and again as though there was a momentary
pause as I leapt from moon to earth. In truth, it was altogether some
weeks of earthly time. But I had done with care and anxiety, hunger or
fear, for that space. I floated, thinking with a strange breadth and
freedom of all that we had undergone, and of all my life and motives, and
the secret issues of my being. I seemed to myself to have grown greater
and greater, to have lost all sense of movement; to be floating amidst the
stars, and always the sense of earth's littleness and the infinite
littleness of my life upon it, was implicit in my thoughts.
I can't profess to explain the things that happened in my mind. No doubt
they could all be traced directly or indirectly to the curious physical
The First Men In The Moon |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Polity of Athenians and Lacedaemonians by Xenophon: granted as a gift to each of the two kings to choose two mess-fellows,
which same are called Puthioi. He also granted them to receive out of
every litter of swine one pig, so that the king might never be at a
loss for victims if in aught he wished to consult the gods.
[2] I.e. a Heracleid, in whichever line descended, and, through
Heracles, from Zeus himself. The kings are therefore "heroes,"
i.e. demigods. See below; and for their privileges, see Herod. vi.
56, 57.
[3] See "Ages." v. 1.
Close by the palace a lake affords an unrestricted supply of water;
and how useful that is for various purposes they best can tell who
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Aesop's Fables by Aesop: old mouse said:
"It is easy to propose impossible remedies."
The Hare and the Tortoise
The Hare was once boasting of his speed before the other
animals. "I have never yet been beaten," said he, "when I put
forth my full speed. I challenge any one here to race with me."
The Tortoise said quietly, "I accept your challenge."
"That is a good joke," said the Hare; "I could dance round you
all the way."
"Keep your boasting till you've beaten," answered the
Tortoise. "Shall we race?"
Aesop's Fables |
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 Bride of Lammermoor by Walter Scott: pay some attention to what was going on; and observing the
restrained impatience of Ravenswood, contrasted with the
peculiar determination of manner with which Caleb detailed his
imaginary banquet, the whole struck her as so ridiculous that,
despite every effort to the contrary, she burst into a fit of
incontrollable laughter, in which she was joined by her father,
though with more moderation, and finally by the Master of
Ravenswood himself, though conscious that the jest was at his own
expense. Their mirth--for a scene which we read with little
emotion often appears extremely ludicrous to the spectators--made
the old vault ring again. They ceased--they renewed--they
The Bride of Lammermoor |
