| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Some Reminiscences by Joseph Conrad: I felt I could never pick up the pieces--and in that very moment
I was saying, "Won't you sit down?"
The sea is strong medicine. Behold what the quarter-deck
training even in a merchant ship will do! This episode should
give you a new view of the English and Scots seamen (a much-
caricatured folk) who had the last say in the formation of my
character. One is nothing if not modest, but in this disaster I
think I have done some honour to their simple teaching. "Won't
you sit down?" Very fair; very fair indeed. She sat down. Her
amused glance strayed all over the room. There were pages of MS.
on the table and under the table, a batch of typed copy on a
Some Reminiscences |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Koran: unlawful things,- evil is it that they have done. The masters and
their doctors prohibit them from speaking sin and eating unlawful
things,- evil is what they have performed.
The Jews say, 'God's hand is fettered;' their hands are fettered and
they are cursed for what they said; nay! His hands are outspread, He
expends how He pleases! and that which has been sent down to thee from
thy Lord will surely increase many of them in their rebellion and
misbelief, for we have cast amongst them enmity and hatred till the
resurrection day. Whenever they light a fire for war, God puts it out;
they strive for corruption in the earth, but God loves not the
corrupt.
The Koran |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Mother by Owen Wister: cent.'"
"'Why, there are some six per cent bonds!' I said; and I pointed them out
to him."
"'Selling at 137 7-8, you see,' said Mr. Beverly. 'Deducting the tax,
there you are scaled down again.' He pencilled some swift calculations.
'There,' said he. And I nearly understood them. 'Now I'm not here to stop
your buying that sort of petticoat and canary-bird wafer,' continued Mr.
Beverly. 'It's the regular trustee move, and nobody could criticise you
if you made it. It's what I call thoughtless safety, and it brings you
about 3 1-2 per cent, as I have already shown you. Anybody can do it.'"
These words of Mr. Beverly made me feel that I did not want to do what
|
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 Adam Bede by George Eliot: little babies as if they were no heavier than little birds. And
the babies always seem to like the strong arm best. I feel sure
it would be so with Adam Bede. Don't you think so, Hetty?"
"Yes," said Hetty abstractedly, for her mind had been all the
while in the wood, and she would have found it difficult to say
what she was assenting to. Dinah saw she was not inclined to
talk, but there would not have been time to say much more, for
they were now at the yard-gate.
The still twilight, with its dying western red and its few faint
struggling stars, rested on the farm-yard, where there was not a
sound to be heard but the stamping of the cart-horses in the
Adam Bede |
