| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Poor and Proud by Oliver Optic: they had to pay it.
Katy was appalled as she thought of the low state of their purse,
and dreaded lest some fearful calamity might again overtake them.
It was plain to her that she could not give up her business, even
for a week, without the danger of being again reduced to actual
want. She therefore reversed her decision, and told the girls
they might come as usual the next day.
When they had gone she shed a few bitter tears at the necessity
which the circumstances imposed upon her of working while her
heart revolted at the idea of being anywhere but at the bedside
of her sick mother. Then she lamented that they had not dispensed
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Parmenides by Plato: hypothesis of the being of many, if carried out, appears to be still more
ridiculous than the hypothesis of the being of one. Zeal for my master led
me to write the book in the days of my youth, but some one stole the copy;
and therefore I had no choice whether it should be published or not; the
motive, however, of writing, was not the ambition of an elder man, but the
pugnacity of a young one. This you do not seem to see, Socrates; though in
other respects, as I was saying, your notion is a very just one.
I understand, said Socrates, and quite accept your account. But tell me,
Zeno, do you not further think that there is an idea of likeness in itself,
and another idea of unlikeness, which is the opposite of likeness, and that
in these two, you and I and all other things to which we apply the term
|