| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Charmides by Plato: will ask, What is the subject-matter? For the several sciences are
distinguished not by the mere fact that they are sciences, but by the
nature of their subjects. Is not that true?
Quite true.
And medicine is distinguished from other sciences as having the subject-
matter of health and disease?
Yes.
And he who would enquire into the nature of medicine must pursue the
enquiry into health and disease, and not into what is extraneous?
True.
And he who judges rightly will judge of the physician as a physician in
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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 Call of the Canyon by Zane Grey: I want to lose myself in the wheat country and forget the--the war. I'll
not be afraid of work, presently. . . . Now, Miss Burch, you've been so
kind--I'm going to ask you to lend me a little money. I'll pay it back. I
can't promise just when. But some day. Will you?"
"Assuredly I will," she replied, heartily. "I'm happy to have the
opportunity to help you. How much will you need for immediate use? Five
hundred dollars?"
"Oh no, not so much as that," he replied. "Just railroad fare home, and
then to Kansas, and to pay board while I get well, you know, and look
around."
"We'll make it five hundred, anyway," she replied, and, rising, she went
The Call of the Canyon |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Europeans by Henry James: Trust me, Clifford, as I say, is a charming boy.
He is incapable of that. Lizzie Acton, then, would not be
jealous of another woman."
"I certainly hope not," said the old man, with a vague sense
of jealousy being an even lower vice than a love of liquor.
"The best thing for Clifford, then," Felix propounded,
"is to become interested in some clever, charming woman."
And he paused in his painting, and, with his elbows on
his knees, looked with bright communicativeness at his uncle.
"You see, I believe greatly in the influence of women.
Living with women helps to make a man a gentleman.
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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 The Symposium by Xenophon: passion." Cf. Theocr. xiv. 26.
[11] Lit. "beautiful and gentle manhood."
[12] Lit. "how serious are his brows."
[13] The phrases somehow remind one of Sappho's famous ode:
{phainetai moi kenos isos theoisin
emmen oner, ostis enantios toi
izanei, kai plasion adu phoneusas upakouei
kai gelosas imeroen}.
But there we must stop. Hermogenes is a sort of Sir Percivale,
"such a courtesy spake thro' the limbs and in the voice."
Nay, so help me Heaven! (he replied), but I do love most desperately
The Symposium |
