| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson: William, rising. "Mr. Mackellar, two words with you;" and he led
me without the camp, the frost crunching in our steps, the trees
standing at our elbow, hoar with frost, even as on that night in
the Long Shrubbery. "Of course, this is midsummer madness," said
Sir William, as soon as we were gotten out of bearing.
"Why, certainly," said I. "The man is mad. I think that
manifest."
"Shall I seize and bind him?" asked Sir William. "I will upon your
authority. If these are all ravings, that should certainly be
done."
I looked down upon the ground, back at the camp, with its bright
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Agesilaus by Xenophon: through weakness of soul his rival, it was plain to see, was driven to
flee away from heat and cold, and to shape his life, not by the
pattern of brave men, but of some mean and defenceless animal.[8]
[5] See Herod. i. 135, for the luxury of the Persians and for the
refinements of civilisation. See "Mem." II. i. 10; "Cyrop." VIII.
i. 40.
[6] Or, "in a round of festivity."
[7] See Plut. "Ages." xiv. (Clough, iv. p. 17); "Apophth. Lac." p.
102; Eur. "Supp." 214, 215.
{de ou truphomen, theou kataskeuen bio
dontos toiauten, oisin ouk arkei tade};
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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 Amy Foster by Joseph Conrad: bleating of the sheep, and he remembered the pain
of his wretchedness and misery, his heartbroken as-
tonishment that it was neither seen nor understood,
his dismay at finding all the men angry and all the
women fierce. He had approached them as a beg-
gar, it is true, he said; but in his country, even if
they gave nothing, they spoke gently to beggars.
The children in his country were not taught to
throw stones at those who asked for compassion.
Smith's strategy overcame him completely. The
wood-lodge presented the horrible aspect of a dun-
Amy Foster |
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 Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians by Martin Luther: forgiveness of their sins through a life of self-denial. Even these will be
cast out, because they are children of the bondwoman.
Our opponents do not defend their own moral delinquency. The better
ones deplore and abhor it. But they defend and uphold their doctrine of
works which is of the devil. Our quarrel is not with those who live in
manifest sins. Our quarrel is with those among them who think they live
like angels, claiming that they do not only perform the Ten
Commandments of God, but also the sayings of Christ, and many good
works that God does not expect of them. We quarrel with them because
they refuse to have Jesus' merit count alone for righteousness.
St. Bernard was one of the best of the medieval saints. He lived a chaste
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