| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Anabasis by Xenophon: PREPARER'S NOTE
This was typed from Dakyns' series, "The Works of Xenophon," a
four-volume set. The complete list of Xenophon's works (though
there is doubt about some of these) is:
Work Number of books
The Anabasis 7
The Hellenica 7
The Cyropaedia 8
The Memorabilia 4
The Symposium 1
The Economist 1
Anabasis |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: The noble science of Geology loses glory from the extreme imperfection of
the record. The crust of the earth with its embedded remains must not be
looked at as a well-filled museum, but as a poor collection made at hazard
and at rare intervals. The accumulation of each great fossiliferous
formation will be recognised as having depended on an unusual concurrence
of circumstances, and the blank intervals between the successive stages as
having been of vast duration. But we shall be able to gauge with some
security the duration of these intervals by a comparison of the preceding
and succeeding organic forms. We must be cautious in attempting to
correlate as strictly contemporaneous two formations, which include few
identical species, by the general succession of their forms of life. As
On the Origin of Species |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Wyoming by William MacLeod Raine: blood. No man had ever looked at her like that before.
"Take awful good care of him," he sneered, with so plain an
implication of evil that her clean blood boiled. "But I know y'u
will, and don't let him go before he's real strong."
"No," she murmured, hating herself for the flush that bathed her.
He bowed like a Chesterfield, and went out with elastic heels,
spurs clicking.
Helen turned fiercely on her guest. "Why did you make me insist
on your staying? As if I want you here, as if--" She stopped,
choking with anger; presently flamed out, "I hate you," and ran
from the room to hide herself alone with her tears and her shame.
|
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 Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne: at a neighbouring spring, set to devouring the branches and shrubs
round about him. Neither Sir Francis nor Mr. Fogg regretted
the delay, and both descended with a feeling of relief. "Why, he's
made of iron!" exclaimed the general, gazing admiringly on Kiouni.
"Of forged iron," replied Passepartout, as he set about preparing
a hasty breakfast.
At noon the Parsee gave the signal of departure. The country
soon presented a very savage aspect. Copses of dates and
dwarf-palms succeeded the dense forests; then vast, dry plains,
dotted with scanty shrubs, and sown with great blocks of syenite.
All this portion of Bundelcund, which is little frequented
Around the World in 80 Days |
