| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift: food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall, on the
contrary, contribute to the feeding, and partly to the cloathing
of many thousands.
There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme, that it
will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice
of women murdering their bastard children, alas! too frequent
among us, sacrificing the poor innocent babes, I doubt, more to
avoid the expence than the shame, which would move tears and pity
in the most savage and inhuman breast.
The number of souls in this kingdom being usually reckoned one
million and a half, of these I calculate there may be about two
A Modest Proposal |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg by Mark Twain: if he was the wrong man he would go honourably and find the right
one. Oh, it was odious to put a man in such a situation--ah, why
couldn't Stephenson have left out that doubt? What did he want to
intrude that for?
Further reflection. How did it happen that RICHARDS'S name remained
in Stephenson's mind as indicating the right man, and not some other
man's name? That looked good. Yes, that looked very good. In fact
it went on looking better and better, straight along--until by-and-
by it grew into positive PROOF. And then Richards put the matter at
once out of his mind, for he had a private instinct that a proof
once established is better left so.
The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg |
