| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Scarecrow of Oz by L. Frank Baum: the sun had set and the shades of evening were falling.
He also had been turned away from the King's castle, when
he tried to enter it, and in the park he came across
Trot.
"Never mind," said the boy. "We can find a place to
sleep."
"I want Cap'n Bill," wailed the girl.
"Well, so do I," was the reply. "But we haven't got
him. Where do you s'pose he is, Trot?
"I don't s'pose anything. He's gone, an' that's all I
know 'bout it."
The Scarecrow of Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Kidnapped Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum: He then related the mistakes that had been made, and which he had not
discovered until his tour of inspection. And Santa Claus at once sent
him with rubber boots for Charlie Smith, and a doll for Mamie Brown;
so that even those two disappointed ones became happy.
As for the wicked Daemons of the Caves, they were filled with anger
and chagrin when they found that their clever capture of Santa Claus
had come to naught. Indeed, no one on that Christmas Day appeared to
be at all selfish, or envious, or hateful. And, realizing that while
the children's saint had so many powerful friends it was folly to
oppose him, the Daemons never again attempted to interfere with his
journeys on Christmas Eve.
A Kidnapped Santa Claus |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Agesilaus by Xenophon: words, it did not annoy him to hear others sounding their own praises,
which he regarded as a harmless weakness, the pledge at least of high
endeavour[3] in the future.
[1] See "Hell." V. iii. 20; "Cyrop." I. iv. 27; "Econ." ii. 7; Plut.
"Ages." ii.; xx.; Lyc. xx.
[2] Or, "he would discuss graver matters, according to the humour of
his friends."
[3] Or, "of courageous conduct," "noble manhood."
But that he was capable of lofty sentiment and at the right season
must not be overlooked. Thus when a letter reached him from the king
(I speak of that which was brought by the Persian agent in company
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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 Parmenides by Plato: to saying, 'partakes of being'?
Quite true.
Once more then let us ask, if one is what will follow. Does not this
hypothesis necessarily imply that one is of such a nature as to have parts?
How so?
In this way:--If being is predicated of the one, if the one is, and one of
being, if being is one; and if being and one are not the same; and since
the one, which we have assumed, is, must not the whole, if it is one,
itself be, and have for its parts, one and being?
Certainly.
And is each of these parts--one and being--to be simply called a part, or
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