| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Memorabilia by Xenophon: else."
Per. What then ought we to do now to recover our former virtue?
Soc. There need be no mystery about that, I think. We can rediscover
the institutions of our forefathers--applying them to the regulation
of our lives with something of their precision, and not improbably
with like success; or we can imitate those who stand at the front of
affairs to-day,[20] adapting to ourselves their rule of life, in which
case, if we live up to the standard of our models, we may hope at
least to rival their excellence, or, by a more conscientious adherence
to what they aim at, rise superior.
[20] Sc. the Lacedaemonians. See W. L. Newman, op. cit. i. 396.
The Memorabilia |
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 Chance by Joseph Conrad: general conversation. But my simple Fyne made use of Captain
Anthony for that purpose, or else I would never even have heard of
the man. "My wife's sailor-brother" was the phrase. He trotted out
the sailor-brother in a pretty wide range of subjects: Indian and
colonial affairs, matters of trade, talk of travels, of seaside
holidays and so on. Once I remember "My wife's sailor-brother
Captain Anthony" being produced in connection with nothing less
recondite than a sunset. And little Fyne never failed to add "The
son of Carleon Anthony, the poet--you know." He used to lower his
voice for that statement, and people were impressed or pretended to
be."
Chance |
