| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Sanitary and Social Lectures by Charles Kingsley: by the river side. And I had so often, fishing up and down full
many a stream, whispered my story to those same river-reeds; and
told them that my Lord the Sovereign Demos had, like old Midas,
asses' ears in spite of all his gold, that I thought I might for
once tell it the boy likewise, in hope that he might help his
generation to mend that which my own generation does not seem like
to mend.
I might have said more to him: but did not. For it is not well
to destroy too early the child's illusion, that people must be
wise because they are grown up, and have votes, and rule--or think
they rule--the world. The child will find out how true that is
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Essays of Francis Bacon by Francis Bacon: amuse the party, with whom you deal, with some
other discourse; that he be not too much awake to
make objections. I knew a counsellor and secre-
tary, that never came to Queen Elizabeth of Eng-
land, with bills to sign, but he would always first
put her into some discourse of estate, that she
mought the less mind the bills.
The like surprise may be made by moving
things, when the party is in haste, and cannot stay
to consider advisedly of that is moved.
If a man would cross a business, that he doubts
Essays of Francis Bacon |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Burning Daylight by Jack London: hundreds and by thousands, was the one who initiated this life
saving. He wanted Dawson to have its night, but, in his deeper
processes never careless nor wanton, he saw to it that it was a
night without accident. And, like his olden nights, his ukase
went forth that there should be no quarrelling nor fighting,
offenders to be dealt with by him personally. Nor did he have to
deal with any. Hundreds of devoted followers saw to it that the
evilly disposed were rolled in the snow and hustled off to bed.
In the great world, where great captains of industry die, all
wheels under their erstwhile management are stopped for a minute.
But in the Klondike, such was its hilarious sorrow at the
|
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 Christ in Flanders by Honore de Balzac: loomed like ghosts though the sea mists. I looked round with no
kindling of the imagination at the forest of columns, at the slender
arches set aloft upon the leafy capitals, a delicate labyrinth of
sculpture. I walked with careless eyes along the side aisles that
opened out before me like vast portals, ever turning upon their
hinges. It was scarcely possible to see, by the dim light of the
autumn day, the sculptured groinings of the roof, the delicate and
clean-cut lines of the mouldings of the graceful pointed arches. The
organ pipes were mute. There was no sound save the noise of my own
footsteps to awaken the mournful echoes lurking in the dark chapels. I
sat down at the base of one of the four pillars that supported the
|
