| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Unseen World and Other Essays by John Fiske: sudden, imperious whim, such as is "not unbecoming in a Sultan,"
demands that Nathan shall answer him on the spur of the moment
which of the three great religions then known--Judaism,
Mohammedanism, Christianity--is adjudged by reason to be the true
one. For a moment the philosopher is in a quandary. If he does
not pronounce in favour of his own religion, Judaism, he
stultifies himself; but if he does not award the precedence to
Mohammedanism, he will apparently insult his sovereign. With true
Oriental tact he escapes from the dilemma by means of a parable.
There was once a man, says Nathan, who possessed a ring of
inestimable value. Not only was the stone which it contained
The Unseen World and Other Essays |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Riverman by Stewart Edward White: observed the approach of a solitary figure down the highway of the
river. The man appeared tiny around the upper bend, momently
growing larger as he approached. His progress was jerky and on an
uneven zigzag, according as the logs lay, by leaps, short runs,
brief pauses, as a riverman goes. Finally he stepped ashore just
below the camp, stamped his feet vigorously free of water, and
approached the group around the cooking-fire.
No one saw him save the cook, who vouchsafed him a stately and
lugubrious inclination of the head.
The newcomer was a man somewhere about thirty years of age, squarely
built, big of bone, compact in bulk. His face was burly, jolly, and
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Montezuma's Daughter by H. Rider Haggard: of it, for these ignorant people treated the plague by pouring cold
water upon the bodies of those smitten, driving the fever inwards
to the vitals, so that within two days the most of them died.* It
was pitiful to see them maddened with suffering, as they wandered
to and fro about the streets, spreading the distemper far and wide.
They were dying in the houses, they lay dead by companies in the
market places awaiting burial, for the sickness took its toll of
every family, the very priests were smitten by it at the altar as
they sacrificed children to appease the anger of the gods. But the
worst is still to tell; Cuitlahua, the emperor, was struck down by
the illness, and when we reached the city he lay dying. Still, he
Montezuma's Daughter |
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 Captain Stormfield by Mark Twain: if they considered my case all complete and shipshape. I was a
good deal surprised at this, but I was diffident about speaking up
and reminding them. I did so hate to do it, you know; it seemed a
pity to bother them, they had so much on their hands. Twice I
thought I would give up and let the thing go; so twice I started to
leave, but immediately I thought what a figure I should cut
stepping out amongst the redeemed in such a rig, and that made me
hang back and come to anchor again. People got to eying me -
clerks, you know - wondering why I didn't get under way. I
couldn't stand this long - it was too uncomfortable. So at last I
plucked up courage and tipped the head clerk a signal. He says -
|
