| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Lesser Hippias by Plato: does not find him out; at any rate he does not appear to say anything to
him which would imply that he perceived his falsehood.
HIPPIAS: What do you mean, Socrates?
SOCRATES: Did you not observe that afterwards, when he is speaking to
Odysseus, he says that he will sail away with the early dawn; but to Ajax
he tells quite a different story?
HIPPIAS: Where is that?
SOCRATES: Where he says,--
'I will not think about bloody war until the son of warlike Priam,
illustrious Hector, comes to the tents and ships of the Myrmidons,
slaughtering the Argives, and burning the ships with fire; and about my
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from In a German Pension by Katherine Mansfield: with her petticoat bodice unbuttoned, she ran and opened it.
A strange man stood against the lintel--seeing her, he opened his eyes very
wide and smiled delightfully. "Excuse me--does Fraulein Schafer live
here?"
"No; never heard of her." His smile was so infectious, she wanted to smile
too--and the water had made her feel so fresh and rosy.
The strange man appeared overwhelmed with astonishment. "She doesn't?" he
cried. "She is out, you mean!"
"No, she's not living here," answered Viola.
"But--pardon--one moment." He moved from the door lintel, standing
squarely in front of her. He unbuttoned his greatcoat and drew a slip of
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