| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Philebus by Plato: all circumstances, to the cause of pleasure.
Socrates suggests that they shall have a first and second palm of victory.
For there may be a good higher than either pleasure or wisdom, and then
neither of them will gain the first prize, but whichever of the two is more
akin to this higher good will have a right to the second. They agree, and
Socrates opens the game by enlarging on the diversity and opposition which
exists among pleasures. For there are pleasures of all kinds, good and
bad, wise and foolish--pleasures of the temperate as well as of the
intemperate. Protarchus replies that although pleasures may be opposed in
so far as they spring from opposite sources, nevertheless as pleasures they
are alike. Yes, retorts Socrates, pleasure is like pleasure, as figure is
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart: before, Lucy Haswell had married a young man whose name was given
as Aubrey Wallace.
Anne Haswell had married a carpenter in her native town, and was
a widow. For three months everything went fairly well. Aubrey
took his bride to Chicago, where they lived at a hotel. Perhaps
the very unsophistication that had charmed him in Valley Mill
jarred on him in the city. He had been far from a model husband,
even for the three months, and when he disappeared Anne was
almost thankful. It was different with the young wife, however.
She drooped and fretted, and on the birth of her baby boy, she
had died. Anne took the child, and named him Lucien.
The Circular Staircase |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Tik-Tok of Oz by L. Frank Baum: "In that case," snarled the King, trying to
control his disappointment, "go to the Slimy Cave
and fetch hither the girl and the donkey. And
while we are torturing them Kaliko must take a
hundred nomes and search for the escaped
prisoners--the Queen of Oogaboo and her officers.
If he does not find them, I will torture Kaliko."
Kaliko went away looking sad and disturbed, for
he knew the King was cruel and unjust enough to
carry out this threat. Pang and the executioners
also went away, in another direction, but when
Tik-Tok of Oz |
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 Men of Iron by Howard Pyle: had lost somewhat of interest in new things. So he did not care
to tarry, but rode, with a mind heavy with graver matters,
through the streets and out through the Temple Bar direct for
Mackworth House, near the Savoy Palace.
It was with a great deal of interest that Myles and his patron
regarded one another when they met for the first time after that
half-year which the young soldier had spent in France. To Myles
it seemed somehow very strange that his Lordship's familiar face
and figure should look so exactly the same. To Lord Mackworth,
perhaps, it seemed even more strange that six short months should
have wrought so great a change in the young man. The rugged
Men of Iron |
