| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Statesman by Plato: STRANGER: But hear what follows:--When the year of office has expired, the
pilot or physician has to come before a court of review, in which the
judges are either selected from the wealthy classes or chosen by lot out of
the whole people; and anybody who pleases may be their accuser, and may lay
to their charge, that during the past year they have not navigated their
vessels or healed their patients according to the letter of the law and the
ancient customs of their ancestors; and if either of them is condemned,
some of the judges must fix what he is to suffer or pay.
YOUNG SOCRATES: He who is willing to take a command under such conditions,
deserves to suffer any penalty.
STRANGER: Yet once more, we shall have to enact that if any one is
Statesman |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Pellucidar by Edgar Rice Burroughs: leak, for she was well calked with fiber and tarry pitch.
We rigged up a single short mast and light sail, fastened
planking down over the ballast to form a deck, worked
her out into midstream with a couple of sweeps, and
dropped our primitive stone anchor to await the turn
of the tide that would bear us out to sea.
While we waited we devoted the time to the con-
struction of an upper deck, since the one immediately
above the ballast was some seven feet from the gunwale.
The second deck was four feet above this. In it was a
large, commodious hatch, leading to the lower deck. The
Pellucidar |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: chode with them harshly; and so they were parted from him, and
unwillingly went home, often turning round to look on him, and
stumbling on their road. And some of the hotter spirits also
followed afar off weeping, until the shades of night parted them
one from another.
XXXVII.
Thus this noble man went forth from his palace rejoicing, as when
after long exile a man returneth with joy to his own country.
Outwardly he wore the robes that he was wont to wear, but beneath
was the hair-shirt which Barlaam had given him. That night he
halted at a poor man's cabin, and stripped himself of his outer
|
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 Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli: If, therefore, your illustrious house wishes to follow these
remarkable men who have redeemed their country, it is necessary before
all things, as a true foundation for every enterprise, to be provided
with your own forces, because there can be no more faithful, truer, or
better soldiers. And although singly they are good, altogether they
will be much better when they find themselves commanded by their
prince, honoured by him, and maintained at his expense. Therefore it
is necessary to be prepared with such arms, so that you can be
defended against foreigners by Italian valour.
And although Swiss and Spanish infantry may be considered very
formidable, nevertheless there is a defect in both, by reason of which
The Prince |
