| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Parmenides by Plato: of Plato without an anachronism, the criticism is appropriately placed in
the mouth of the founder of the ideal philosophy.
There was probably a time in the life of Plato when the ethical teaching of
Socrates came into conflict with the metaphysical theories of the earlier
philosophers, and he sought to supplement the one by the other. The older
philosophers were great and awful; and they had the charm of antiquity.
Something which found a response in his own mind seemed to have been lost
as well as gained in the Socratic dialectic. He felt no incongruity in the
veteran Parmenides correcting the youthful Socrates. Two points in his
criticism are especially deserving of notice. First of all, Parmenides
tries him by the test of consistency. Socrates is willing to assume ideas
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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 Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac: here. There'll be a death in the house before ten days are out,
you'll see," and she gave a lugubrious look round the dining-
room. "Whose turn will it be, I wonder?"
"It is just as well that we are moving out," said Eugene to
Father Goriot in a low voice.
"Madame," said Sylvie, running in with a scared face, "I have not
seen Mistigris these three days."
"Ah! well, if my cat is dead, if HE has gone and left us, I----"
The poor woman could not finish her sentence; she clasped her
hands and hid her face on the back of her armchair, quite
overcome by this dreadful portent.
 Father Goriot |