| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Long Odds by H. Rider Haggard: of fire twenty feet and more into the air, and making the hot air dance
above in a way that was perfectly dazzling. But the reeds were still
half green, and created an enormous quantity of smoke, which came
rolling towards me like a curtain, lying very low on account of the
wind. Presently, above the crackling of the fire, I heard a startled
roar, then another and another. So the lions were at home.
"I was beginning to get excited now, for, as you fellows know, there is
nothing in experience to warm up your nerves like a lion at close
quarters, unless it is a wounded buffalo; and I became still more so
when I made out through the smoke that the lions were all moving about
on the extreme edge of the reeds. Occasionally they would pop their
Long Odds |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Oscar Wilde Miscellaneous by Oscar Wilde: Durer (1905) and Correggio (1906) are more widely known (I am sorry
to say) than his powerful and enthralling poems.
Once again I must express my obligations to Mr. Stuart Mason for
revising and correcting the proofs of this new edition.
ROBERT ROSS
A FLORENTINE TRAGEDY--A FRAGMENT
CHARACTERS:
GUIDO BARDI, A Florentine prince
SIMONE, a merchant
BIANNA, his wife
The action takes place at Florence in the early sixteenth century.
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