| 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: itself seriously in the process, as events in the war have
demonstrated, but a helpless airship at once becomes the sport of
the wind, and anyone who has assisted, like myself, in the
descent of a vessel charged with gas and floating in the air, can
appreciate the difficulties experienced in landing. An
uncontrolled Zeppelin, for instance, would inevitably pile up in
a tangled twisted ruin if forced to descend in the manner of an
ordinary balloon. Consequently the pilot of a dirigible realises
to the full the imperative urgency of keeping beyond the
point-blank fire of aerial mosquito craft.
The assiduity with which British aviators are prepared to swarm
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Phaedo by Plato: earthly prison, and go to their pure home which is above, and dwell in the
purer earth; and of these, such as have duly purified themselves with
philosophy live henceforth altogether without the body, in mansions fairer
still which may not be described, and of which the time would fail me to
tell.
Wherefore, Simmias, seeing all these things, what ought not we to do that
we may obtain virtue and wisdom in this life? Fair is the prize, and the
hope great!
A man of sense ought not to say, nor will I be very confident, that the
description which I have given of the soul and her mansions is exactly
true. But I do say that, inasmuch as the soul is shown to be immortal, he
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