| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Philebus by Plato: be compared with his discussion of the same subject in the Phaedrus; here
he dwells on the importance of dividing the genera into all the species,
while in the Phaedrus he conveys the same truth in a figure, when he speaks
of carving the whole, which is described under the image of a victim, into
parts or members, 'according to their natural articulation, without
breaking any of them.' There is also a difference, which may be noted,
between the two dialogues. For whereas in the Phaedrus, and also in the
Symposium, the dialectician is described as a sort of enthusiast or lover,
in the Philebus, as in all the later writings of Plato, the element of love
is wanting; the topic is only introduced, as in the Republic, by way of
illustration. On other subjects of which they treat in common, such as the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Polity of Athenians and Lacedaemonians by Xenophon: of age to which the service applies[1] for cavalry and heavy infantry;
and in the next place, for the various handicraftsmen. So that, even
on active service, the Lacedaemonians are well supplied with all the
conveniences enjoyed by people living as citizens at home.[2] All
implements and instruments whatsoever, which an army may need in
common, are ordered to be in readiness,[3] some on waggons and others
on baggage animals. In this way anything omitted can hardly escape
detection.
[1] I.e. "in the particular case." See "Hell." VI. iv. 17; Muller,
"Dorians," iii. 12 (vol. ii. 242 foll., Eng. tr.)
[2] Or, "the conveniences of civil life at home."
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Tom Sawyer Abroad by Mark Twain: to paint them so you can tell them apart the minute
you look at them, hain't he? Of course. Well, then,
do you want him to go and paint BOTH of them brown?
Certainly you don't. He paints one of them blue,
and then you can't make no mistake. It's just the
same with the maps. That's why they make every
State a different color; it ain't to deceive you, it's to
keep you from deceiving yourself."
But I couldn't see no argument about that, and
neither could Jim. Jim shook his head, and says:
"Why, Mars Tom, if you knowed what chuckle-
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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 Chouans by Honore de Balzac: answered, as he looked in her face with terrifying eyes: "Yes, by my
damnation, Francine, I will tell you, but not until you have sworn on
these beads (and he pulled an old chaplet from beneath his goatskin)--
on this relic, which /you know well/," he continued, "to answer me
truly one question."
Francine colored as she saw the chaplet, which was no doubt a token of
their love. "It was on that," he added, much agitated, "that you
swore--"
He did not finish the sentence. The young girl placed her hand on the
lips of her savage lover and silenced him.
"Need I swear?" she said.
The Chouans |
