| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from War and the Future by H. G. Wells: England exploiting Italy, I myself suffered in exactly the same
way as any Italian, through the extraordinary liberties of our
shipping interest. "I pay as well as you do," I said; "the
shippers' blockade of Great Britain is more effective than the
submarines'. My food, my coal, my petrol are all restricted in
the sacred name of private property. You see, capital in England
has hitherto been not an exploitation but a hold-up. We are
learning differently now.... And anyhow, Mr. Runciman has been
here and given Italy assurances...."
In the train to Modane this old story recurred again. It is
imperative that English readers should understand clearly how
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Underground City by Jules Verne: is to be overwhelmed, the floods will rush faster than you can;
no one can possibly escape. But see! the waters are rising
no further! it appears to me the danger is over."
"And our comrades at the far end of the works--what about them?"
cried some of the miners.
"There is nothing to fear for them," replied Simon; "they are working
on a higher level than the bed of the loch."
It was soon evident that the old man was in the right.
The sudden influx of water had rushed to the very lowest
bed of the vast mine, and its only ultimate effect was to raise
the level of Loch Malcolm a few feet. Coal Town was uninjured,
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from A Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain: and not only believed, but felt.
Reasoning--especially reasoning, without technical
knowledge--must be put aside, in cases of this kind.
It cannot assist the inquirer. It will lead him,
in the most logical progression, to what, in the eyes
of artists, would be a most illogical conclusion.
Thus: bad drawing, bad proportion, bad perspective,
indifference to truthful detail, color which gets its
merit from time, and not from the artist--these things
constitute the Old Master; conclusion, the Old Master
was a bad painter, the Old Master was not an Old Master
|
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 Ebb-Tide by Stevenson & Osbourne: of desertion that was almost poignant, no human figure was to
be observed going to and fro about the houses, and there was
no sound of human industry or enjoyment. Only, on the top of
the beach and hard by the flagstaff, a woman of exorbitant
stature and as white as snow was to be seen beckoning with
uplifted arm. The second glance identified her as a piece of
naval sculpture, the figure-head of a ship that had long hovered
and plunged into so many running billows, and was now brought
ashore to be the ensign and presiding genius of that empty town.
The Farallone made a soldier's breeze of it; the wind, besides,
was stronger inside than without under the lee of the land; and
|
