| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Ion by Plato: by the neck, and he in pain let him fall from him to the ground into the
midst of the multitude. And the eagle, with a cry, was borne afar on the
wings of the wind (Il.).'
These are the sort of things which I should say that the prophet ought to
consider and determine.
ION: And you are quite right, Socrates, in saying so.
SOCRATES: Yes, Ion, and you are right also. And as I have selected from
the Iliad and Odyssee for you passages which describe the office of the
prophet and the physician and the fisherman, do you, who know Homer so much
better than I do, Ion, select for me passages which relate to the rhapsode
and the rhapsode's art, and which the rhapsode ought to examine and judge
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Eugenie Grandet by Honore de Balzac: exact schedule of the whole inheritance, Eugenie remained alone with
Nanon, sitting beside the fireplace in the vacant hall, where all was
now a memory, from the chair on castors which her mother had sat in,
to the glass from which her cousin drank.
"Nanon, we are alone--"
"Yes, mademoiselle; and if I knew where he was, the darling, I'd go on
foot to find him."
"The ocean is between us," she said.
While the poor heiress wept in company of an old servant, in that cold
dark house, which was to her the universe, the whole province rang,
from Nantes to Orleans, with the seventeen millions of Mademoiselle
Eugenie Grandet |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from On Horsemanship by Xenophon: slightly upwards. The dart so discharged will carry with the greatest
force and to the farthest distance; we may add, too, with the truest
aim, if at the moment of discharge the lance be directed steadily on
the object aimed at.[13]
[12] Al. "to turn right-about."
[13] "If the lance is steadily eyeing the mark at the instant of
discharge."
This treatise, consisting of notes and suggestions, lessons and
exercises suited to a private individual, must come to a conclusion;
the theory and practice of the matter suited to a cavalry commander
will be found developed in the companion treatise.[14]
On Horsemanship |
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 Lay Morals by Robert Louis Stevenson: Protestant imaginations) was dimly supposed to be in the
heart of each and on the lips of the minister. And over
against them was the army of the hierarchies, from the men
Charles and James Stuart, on to King Lewie and the Emperor;
and the scarlet Pope, and the muckle black devil himself,
peering out the red mouth of hell in an ecstasy of hate and
hope. 'One pull more!' he seemed to cry; 'one pull more, and
it's done. There's only Clydesdale and the Stewartry, and
the three Bailiaries of Ayr, left for God.' And with such an
august assistance of powers and principalities looking on at
the last conflict of good and evil, it was scarce possible to
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