| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Fables by Robert Louis Stevenson: a good thing to do what our fathers did, and to keep what they kept
without question. And in my thought one thing is as good as
another in this world; and a shoe of a horse will do."
Now they got into their boat with the horseshoe, and when the dawn
was come they were aware of the smoke of the Earl's town and the
bells of the Kirk that beat. So they set foot to shore; and the
man went up to the market among the fishers over against the palace
and the Kirk; and he was bitter poor and bitter ugly, and he had
never a fish to sell, but only a shoe of a horse in his creel, and
it rusty.
"Now," said the Poor Thing, "do so and so, and you shall find a
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Theaetetus by Plato: meaning (onomaton sumploke logou ousia). This seems equivalent to saying,
that the individuals of sense become the subject of knowledge when they are
regarded as they are in nature in relation to other individuals.
Yet we feel a difficulty in following this new hypothesis. For must not
opinion be equally expressed in a proposition? The difference between true
and false opinion is not the difference between the particular and the
universal, but between the true universal and the false. Thought may be as
much at fault as sight. When we place individuals under a class, or assign
to them attributes, this is not knowledge, but a very rudimentary process
of thought; the first generalization of all, without which language would
be impossible. And has Plato kept altogether clear of a confusion, which
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Bucolics by Virgil: Was worthy to be sung, and many a time
Hath Stimichon to me your singing praised.
MENALCAS
"In dazzling sheen with unaccustomed eyes
Daphnis stands rapt before Olympus' gate,
And sees beneath his feet the clouds and stars.
Wherefore the woods and fields, Pan, shepherd-folk,
And Dryad-maidens, thrill with eager joy;
Nor wolf with treacherous wile assails the flock,
Nor nets the stag: kind Daphnis loveth peace.
The unshorn mountains to the stars up-toss
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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 Essays of Francis Bacon by Francis Bacon: this we call education; which is, in effect, but an
early custom. So we see, in languages, the tongue
is more pliant to all expressions and sounds, the
joints are more supple, to all feats of activity and
motions, in youth than afterwards. For it is true,
that late learners cannot so well take the ply; ex-
cept it be in some minds, that have not suffered
themselves to fix, but have kept themselves open,
and prepared to receive continual amendment,
which is exceeding rare. But if the force of cus-
tom simple and separate, be great, the force of
Essays of Francis Bacon |
