| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War by Frederick A. Talbot: mobilisation the so-called standing military force was augmented
by about 500 machines which were acquired from private owners.
The aeroplane factories were also, overhauled and re-organised so
as to be in a position to remedy the inevitable wastage, but
these organisation efforts were somewhat handicapped by the
shortage of labour arising from the call to arms. France,
moreover, imperilled her aerial strength by forbidding the use of
558 machines which were ready for service.
Germany's aerial fleet was of similar proportions to that of her
Gallic neighbour, but curiously enough, and in strange contrast,
there appeared to be a lack of readiness in this ramification of
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Iliad by Homer: put them on spits while the son of Menoetius made the fire burn
high. When the flame had died down, he spread the embers, laid
the spits on top of them, lifting them up and setting them upon
the spit-racks; and he sprinkled them with salt. When the meat
was roasted, he set it on platters, and handed bread round the
table in fair baskets, while Achilles dealt them their portions.
Then Achilles took his seat facing Ulysses against the opposite
wall, and bade his comrade Patroclus offer sacrifice to the gods;
so he cast the offerings into the fire, and they laid their hands
upon the good things that were before them. As soon as they had
had enough to eat and drink, Ajax made a sign to Phoenix, and
The Iliad |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: almost all strata contain harder layers or nodules, which from long
resisting attrition form a breakwater at the base. Hence, under ordinary
circumstances, I conclude that for a cliff 500 feet in height, a denudation
of one inch per century for the whole length would be an ample allowance.
At this rate, on the above data, the denudation of the Weald must have
required 306,662,400 years; or say three hundred million years.
The action of fresh water on the gently inclined Wealden district, when
upraised, could hardly have been great, but it would somewhat reduce the
above estimate. On the other hand, during oscillations of level, which we
know this area has undergone, the surface may have existed for millions of
years as land, and thus have escaped the action of the sea: when deeply
On the Origin of Species |
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 My Aunt Margaret's Mirror by Walter Scott: lamps, was extremely faint. The master--to use the Italian
phrase for persons of this description--approached the upper end
of the room, with a genuflection like that of a Catholic to the
crucifix, and at the same time crossed himself. The ladies
followed in silence, and arm in arm. Two or three low broad
steps led to a platform in front of the altar, or what resembled
such. Here the sage took his stand, and placed the ladies beside
him, once more earnestly repeating by signs his injunctions of
silence. The Italian then, extending his bare arm from under his
linen vestment, pointed with his forefinger to five large
flambeaux, or torches, placed on each side of the altar. They
|
