| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tono Bungay by H. G. Wells: might use him and assimilate him to their system, the most
unpremeditated, subtle, successful and aimless plutocracy that
ever encumbered the destinies of mankind. Not one of them, so
far as I could see, until disaster overtook him, resented his
lies, his almost naked dishonesty of method, the disorderly
disturbance of this trade and that, caused by his spasmodic
operations. I can see them now about him, see them polite,
watchful, various; his stiff compact little figure always a
centre of attention, his wiry hair, his brief nose, his
under-lip, electric with self-confidence. Wandering marginally
through distinguished gatherings, I would catch the
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Glaucus/The Wonders of the Shore by Charles Kingsley: rest, to the discomfiture of the astonished angler.
The natural history of these flies, I understand from Mr. Stainton
(one of our most distinguished entomologists), has not yet been
worked out, at least for England. The only attempt, I believe, in
that direction is one made by a charming book, "The Fly-fisher's
Entomology," which should be in every good angler's library; but
why should not a few fishermen combine to work out the subject for
themselves, and study for the interests both of science and their
own sport, "The Wonders of the Bank?" The work, petty as it may
seem, is much too great for one man, so prodigal is Nature of her
forms, in the stream as in the ocean; but what if a correspondence
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Tono Bungay by H. G. Wells: honour that are the ultimate comminution of honour, that claims
credit for things demonstrably half done. He seemed to think
that first hit of his and one or two others were going to matter,
that I ought to give in when presently my lip bled and dripped
blood upon my clothes. So before we had been at it a minute he
had ceased to be aggressive except in momentary spurts, and I was
knocking him about almost as I wanted to do; and demanding
breathlessly and fiercely, after our school manner, whether he
had had enough, not knowing that by his high code and his soft
training it was equally impossible for him to either buck-up and
beat me, or give in.
|
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 Glaucus/The Wonders of the Shore by Charles Kingsley: them from seeing day and night in all things, however small or
trivial to human eclecticism, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself
fulfilling His own saying, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I
work."
To me it seems (to sum up, in a few words, what I have tried to
say) that such development and progress as have as yet been
actually discovered in nature, bear every trace of having been
produced by successive acts of thought and will in some personal
mind; which, however boundlessly rich and powerful, is still the
Archetype of the human mind; and therefore (for to this I confess I
have been all along tending) probably capable, without violence to
|
