| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Of The Nature of Things by Lucretius: Present more problems for more work of thought.
Firstly, we feel a flavour in the mouth,
When forth we squeeze it, in chewing up our food,-
As any one perchance begins to squeeze
With hand and dry a sponge with water soaked.
Next, all which forth we squeeze is spread about
Along the pores and intertwined paths
Of the loose-textured tongue. And so, when smooth
The bodies of the oozy flavour, then
Delightfully they touch, delightfully
They treat all spots, around the wet and trickling
Of The Nature of Things |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Economist by Xenophon: brains,[18] reflecting whether or not I may not know some other things
--how to refine gold and play the flute and paint pictures--without
being conscious of the fact. Certainly, as far as teaching goes, no
one ever taught me these, no more than husbandry; while, as to using
my own eyes, I have watched men working at the other arts no less than
I have watched them till the soil.
[18] Lit. "all this while, I am thinking whether . . ."
Isch. Did I not tell you long ago that of all arts husbandry was the
noblest, the most generous, just because it is the easiest to learn?
Soc. That it is without a doubt, Ischomachus. It seems I must have
known the processes of sowing, without being conscious of my
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