| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Symposium by Xenophon: bully"; "Eccles." 142:
{kai loidorountai g' osper empepokotes,
kai ton paroinount' ekpherous' oi toxotai.}
Yes (replied the jester), he has a striking likeness to that person
and a heap of others. He bristles with metaphors.
Soc. For all that, do not you be too eager to draw comparisons at his
expense, or you will find yourself the image of a scold and
brawler.[15]
[15] Or, "a striking person."
Phil. But what if I compare him to all the primest creatures of the
world, to beauty's nonpareils,[16] to nature's best--I might be justly
 The Symposium |
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 A Distinguished Provincial at Paris by Honore de Balzac: trifle stronger); "you are in a fair way to be a power in the land."
"He will get on," said Coralie.
"Well, he has come a good way already in six weeks."
"And if he should climb so high that he can reach a sceptre by
treading over a corpse, he shall have Coralie's body for a stepping-
stone," said the girl.
"You are a pair of lovers of the Golden Age," said Blondet.--"I
congratulate you on your big article," he added, turning to Lucien.
"There were a lot of new things in it. You are past master!"
Lousteau called with Hector Merlin and Vernou. Lucien was immensely
flattered by this attention. Felicien Vernou brought a hundred francs
|