| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Sanitary and Social Lectures by Charles Kingsley: But now, if among your party there shall be an average lawyer,
medical man, or man of science, you will find that he, and perhaps
he alone, will be able to retail accurately the story which has
been told him. And why? Simply because his mind has been trained
to deal with facts; to ascertain exactly what he does see or hear,
and to imprint its leading features strongly and clearly on his
memory.
Now, you certainly cannot make young ladies barristers or
attorneys; nor employ their brains in getting up cases, civil or
criminal; and as for chemistry, they and their parents may have a
reasonable antipathy to smells, blackened fingers, and occasional
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Lesser Hippias by Plato: SOCRATES: You, sweet Hippias, like Odysseus, are a deceiver yourself.
HIPPIAS: Certainly not, Socrates; what makes you say so?
SOCRATES: Because you say that Achilles does not speak falsely from
design, when he is not only a deceiver, but besides being a braggart, in
Homer's description of him is so cunning, and so far superior to Odysseus
in lying and pretending, that he dares to contradict himself, and Odysseus
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
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln: for those who here gave their lives that this nation might live.
It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate. . .we cannot consecrate. . .
we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead,
who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power
to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember,
what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.
It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished
work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining
before us. . .that from these honored dead we take increased devotion
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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 Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas: cuirass from a raised pie-crust, sire. Is that sufficient?"
"Yes, monsieur. You will set out then."
"For Bretagne?"
"Yes."
"Alone?"
"Absolutely alone. That is to say, you must not even take a
lackey with you."
"May I ask your majesty for what reason?"
"Because, monsieur, it will be necessary to disguise
yourself sometimes, as the servant of a good family. Your
face is very well known in France, M. d'Artagnan."
Ten Years Later |
