| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tales of the Klondyke by Jack London: tribe knew. But I held my hush, and went on courting Tilly, they
a-casting sharp remarks and everybody roaring. 'Bide a wee,
Tommy,' I says to myself; 'bide a wee.'
"And bide I did, till the dance was ripe to break up, and Chief
George had brought a paddle all ready for me. Everybody was on
the lookout for mischief when we stopped; but I marched, easy as
you please, slap into the thick of them. The Mission girls cut me
up something clever, and for all I was angry I had to set my teeth
to keep from laughing. I turned upon them suddenly.
"'Are you done?' I asked.
"You should have seen them when they heard me spitting Chinook.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from An Open Letter on Translating by Dr. Martin Luther: Subsequently, for these literalist asses I would have to translate
it: "Why has this loss of salve occurred?" But what kind of
German is this? What German says "loss of salve occurred"? And
if he does understand it at all, he would think that the salve is
lost and must be looked for and found again; even though that is
still obscure and uncertain. Now if that is good German why do
they not come out and make us a fine, new German testament and let
Luther's testament be? I think that would really bring out their
talents. But a German would say "Ut quid, etc.." as "Why this
waste?" or "Why this extravagance?" Even "it is a shame about the
ointment" - these are good German, in which one can understand
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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 Tour Through Eastern Counties of England by Daniel Defoe: times of the year, and they go from London on purpose for the
pleasure of shooting; and, indeed, often come home very well laden
with game. But it must be remembered too that those gentlemen who
are such lovers of the sport, and go so far for it, often return
with an Essex ague on their backs, which they find a heavier load
than the fowls they have shot.
It is on this shore, and near this creek, that the greatest
quantity of fresh fish is caught which supplies not this country
only, but London markets also. On the shore, beginning a little
below Candy Island, or rather below Leigh Road, there lies a great
shoal or sand called the Black Tail, which runs out near three
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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 The Odyssey by Homer: citadel of the Cicones. And we looked across to the land of
the Cyclopes, who dwell nigh, and to the smoke, and to the
voice of the men, and of the sheep and of the goats. And
when the sun had sunk and darkness had come on, then we
laid us to rest upon the sea-beach. So soon as early Dawn
shone forth, the rosy-fingered, then I called a gathering
of my men, and spake among them all:
'"Abide here all the rest of you, my dear companions; but I
will go with mine own ship and my ship's company, and make
proof of these men, what manner of folk they are, whether
froward, and wild, and unjust, or hospitable and of
The Odyssey |
