| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Jolly Corner by Henry James: what to make of this lively stir, in a compartment of his mind
never yet penetrated, of a capacity for business and a sense for
construction. These virtues, so common all round him now, had been
dormant in his own organism - where it might be said of them
perhaps that they had slept the sleep of the just. At present, in
the splendid autumn weather - the autumn at least was a pure boon
in the terrible place - he loafed about his "work" undeterred,
secretly agitated; not in the least "minding" that the whole
proposition, as they said, was vulgar and sordid, and ready to
climb ladders, to walk the plank, to handle materials and look wise
about them, to ask questions, in fine, and challenge explanations
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Virginian by Owen Wister: anything to me to know her luck when it comes. For I was that
near telling Taylor I wouldn't!"
"If ever my luck comes," said Molly, with her back to her friend,
"I shall say 'I will' at once."
"Then you'll say it at Bennington next week."
Molly wheeled round.
"Why, you surely will. Do you expect he's going to stay here, and
you in Bennington?" And the campaigner sat back in her chair.
"He? Goodness! Who is he?"
"Child, child, you're talking cross to-day because you're at outs
with yourself. You've been at outs ever since you took this idea
The Virginian |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Hiero by Xenophon: [15] The words are perhaps a gloss.
[16] e.g. the games at Olympia, or the great Dionysia at Athens, etc.
[17] Omitting {einai}, or if with Breit. {dokei einai . . .
sunageiresthai}, transl. "in which it is recognised that sights
are to be seen best fitted to enchain the eyes and congregate vast
masses." For other emendations see Holden, crit. app.; Hartm. op.
cit. p. 258.
[18] "Religious embassies"; it. "Theories." See Thuc. vi. 16; "Mem."
IV. viii. 2.
[19] Lit. "not stronger than those present."
[20] Or, "The dread oppresses him, he may be deprived of his empire
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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 Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne: so far out of the little serpentine tracks in which things of this nature
usually go on; you can--you can have no conception of it: with this, there
was a plainness and simplicity of thinking, with such an unmistrusting
ignorance of the plies and foldings of the heart of woman;--and so naked
and defenceless did he stand before you, (when a siege was out of his
head,) that you might have stood behind any one of your serpentine walks,
and shot my uncle Toby ten times in a day, through his liver, if nine times
in a day, Madam, had not served your purpose.
With all this, Madam,--and what confounded every thing as much on the other
hand, my uncle Toby had that unparalleled modesty of nature I once told you
of, and which, by the bye, stood eternal sentry upon his feelings, that you
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