| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The School For Scandal by Richard Brinsley Sheridan: for ten pounds!--[Aloud.] Very well, sir, I take him at that.
CHARLES. Careless, knock down my uncle Richard.--Here, now,
is a maiden sister of his, my great-aunt Deborah, done by Kneller,
in his best manner, and esteemed a very formidable likeness.
There she is, you see, a shepherdess feeding her flock. You shall
have her for five pounds ten--the sheep are worth the money.
SIR OLIVER. [Aside.] Ah! poor Deborah! a woman who set such a value
on herself!--[Aloud.] Five pounds ten--she's mine.
CHARLES. Knock down my aunt Deborah! Here, now, are two that were
a sort of cousins of theirs.--You see, Moses, these pictures were done
some time ago, when beaux wore wigs, and the ladies their own hair.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Alcibiades I by Plato: genuineness: (1) That is most certainly Plato's which Aristotle attributes
to him by name, which (2) is of considerable length, of (3) great
excellence, and also (4) in harmony with the general spirit of the Platonic
writings. But the testimony of Aristotle cannot always be distinguished
from that of a later age (see above); and has various degrees of
importance. Those writings which he cites without mentioning Plato, under
their own names, e.g. the Hippias, the Funeral Oration, the Phaedo, etc.,
have an inferior degree of evidence in their favour. They may have been
supposed by him to be the writings of another, although in the case of
really great works, e.g. the Phaedo, this is not credible; those again
which are quoted but not named, are still more defective in their external
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from An International Episode by Henry James: it's a most charming life. I must say I think that when one
goes to a foreign country one ought to enjoy the differences.
Of course there are differences, otherwise what did one come
abroad for? Look for your pleasure in the differences,
Lord Lambeth; that's the way to do it; and then I am sure
you will find American society--at least Newport society--
most charming and most interesting. I wish very much my
husband were here; but he's dreadfully confined to New York.
I suppose you think that is very strange--for a gentleman.
But you see we haven't any leisure class."
Mrs. Westgate's discourse, delivered in a soft, sweet voice,
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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 A Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: from the Scotch the vengeance which he might suppose due to those
who had set the example of taking up arms against him. Such was
the policy of the measure which dictated the sending the
auxiliary army into England; and it was avowed in a manifesto
explanatory of their reasons for giving this timely and important
aid to the English Parliament. The English Parliament, they said,
had been already friendly to them, and might be so again; whereas
the King, although he had so lately established religion among
them according to their desires, had given them no ground to
confide in his royal declaration, seeing they had found his
promises and actions inconsistent with each other. "Our
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