| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Dreams by Olive Schreiner: I went out softly. I was afraid that the angels would see me.
II.
Once more I stood at the gate of Heaven, I and another. We held fast by
one another; we were very tired. We looked up at the great gates; the
angels opened them, and we went in. The mud was on our garments. We
walked across the marble floor, and up to the great throne. Then the
angels divided us. Her, they set upon the top step, but me, upon the
bottom; for, they said, "Last time this woman came here she left red foot-
marks on the floor; we had to wash them out with our tears. Let her not go
up."
Then she, with whom I came, looked back, and stretched out her hand to me;
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Gorgias by Plato: as to which of them best understands the goodness or badness of food, the
physician would be starved to death. A flattery I deem this to be and of
an ignoble sort, Polus, for to you I am now addressing myself, because it
aims at pleasure without any thought of the best. An art I do not call it,
but only an experience, because it is unable to explain or to give a reason
of the nature of its own applications. And I do not call any irrational
thing an art; but if you dispute my words, I am prepared to argue in
defence of them.
Cookery, then, I maintain to be a flattery which takes the form of
medicine; and tiring, in like manner, is a flattery which takes the form of
gymnastic, and is knavish, false, ignoble, illiberal, working deceitfully
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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 Kenilworth by Walter Scott: "Now, God be with thee, my dearest and loveliest!" said the
Earl, scarce tearing himself from her embrace, yet again
returning to fold her again and again in his arms, and again
bidding farewell, and again returning to kiss and bid adieu once
more. "The sun is on the verge of the blue horizon--I dare not
stay. Ere this I should have been ten miles from hence."
Such were the words with which at length he strove to cut short
their parting interview. "You will not grant my request, then?"
said the Countess. "Ah, false knight! did ever lady, with bare
foot in slipper, seek boon of a brave knight, yet return with
denial?"
Kenilworth |
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 Sportsman by Xenophon: energy still left, pursue the chase. Even without the nets, caught she
will be, from sheer fatigue,[15] owing to the depth of the snow, which
balls itself under her shaggy feet and clings to her, a sheer dead
weight.
[11] Al. "to envelop the victims in the nets."
[12] Lit. "whatever the creature is in contact with inside."
[13] Cf. Aesch. "Prom." 87, Poto tropo tesd' ekkulisthesei tukhes}.
[14] Or, "if the creature is not first suffocated in the snow itself."
[15] See Pollux, v. 50. "She must presently be tired out in the heavy
snow, which balls itself like a fatal clog clinging to the under
part of her hairy feet."
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