| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Historical Lecturers and Essays by Charles Kingsley: meanness, hypocrisy, ignorance--of esteem, genuine and earnest, for
the Holy Scriptures, and for the more moderate of the Reformers who
were spreading the Scriptures in Europe,--and all this great light
wilfully hidden, not under a bushel, but under a dunghill. He is
somewhat like Socrates in face, and in character likewise; in him,
as in Socrates, the demigod and the satyr, the man and the ape, are
struggling for the mastery. In Socrates, the true man conquers, and
comes forth high and pure; in Rabelais, alas! the victor is the ape,
while the man himself sinks down in cynicism, sensuality, practical
jokes, foul talk. He returns to Paris, to live an idle, luxurious
life; to die--says the legend--saying, "I go to seek a great
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley: the lava round that it can never touch the tree, and a round hole
is left in the middle of the lava where the tree was. Sometimes,
too, the lava will spit out liquid fire among the branches of the
trees, which hangs down afterwards from them in tassels of slag,
and yet, by the very same means, the steam in the branches will
prevent the liquid fire burning them off, or doing anything but
just scorch the bark.
But I can tell you a more curious story still. The lava stream,
you must know, is continually sending out little jets of gas and
steam: some of it it may have brought up from the very inside of
the earth; most of it, I suspect, comes from the damp herbage and
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare: Signior Baptista, you are happily met.
[To the PEDANT] Sir, this is the gentleman I told you of;
I pray you stand good father to me now;
Give me Bianca for my patrimony.
PEDANT.
Soft, son!
Sir, by your leave: having come to Padua
To gather in some debts, my son Lucentio
Made me acquainted with a weighty cause
Of love between your daughter and himself:
And,--for the good report I hear of you,
The Taming of the Shrew |
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 The School For Scandal by Richard Brinsley Sheridan: as cheap as broken China!
CHARLES. To be sure, Sir Oliver, I did make a little free with
the Family Canvas that's the truth on't:--my Ancestors may certainly
rise in judgment against me there's no denying it--but believe me
sincere when I tell you, and upon my soul I would not say so if I was
not--that if I do not appear mortified at the exposure of my Follies,
it is because I feel at this moment the warmest satisfaction in seeing
you, my liberal benefactor.
SIR OLIVER. Charles--I believe you--give me your hand again:
the ill-looking little fellow over the Couch has made your Peace.
CHARLES. Then Sir--my Gratitude to the original is still encreased.
|
