| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Ancient Regime by Charles Kingsley: artistically in official costume. And, on the whole, that hope was
not deceived. More than a century of bitter experience was needed
ere the masses discovered that their ancient rulers were like the
suits of armour in the Tower of London--empty iron astride of wooden
steeds, and armed with lances which every ploughboy could wrest out
of their hands, and use in his own behalf.
The mistake of the masses was pardonable. For those suits of armour
had once held living men; strong, brave, wise; men of an admirable
temper; doing their work according to their light, not altogether
well--what man does that on earth?--but well enough to make
themselves necessary to, and loyally followed by, the masses whom
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Tanach: Exodus 9: 18 Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now.
Exodus 9: 19 Now therefore send, hasten in thy cattle and all that thou hast in the field; for every man and beast that shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.'
Exodus 9: 20 He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses;
Exodus 9: 21 and he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field.
Exodus 9: 22 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Stretch forth thy hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.'
Exodus 9: 23 And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven; and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down unto the earth; and the LORD caused to hail upon the land of Egypt.
Exodus 9: 24 So there was hail, and fire flashing up amidst the hail, very grievous, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
Exodus 9: 25 And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field.
Exodus 9: 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.
The Tanach |
