| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The American by Henry James: So they stood silent a moment, side by side. "Say you are
satisfied with me," said Newman.
He had to wait a moment for the answer; but it came at last,
low yet distinct: "I am very happy."
It was presently followed by a few words from another source,
which made them both turn round. "I am sadly afraid Madame de
Cintre will take a chill. I have ventured to bring a shawl."
Mrs. Bread stood there softly solicitous, holding a white drapery
in her hand.
"Thank you," said Madame de Cintre, "the sight of those cold
stars gives one a sense of frost. I won't take your shawl,
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Pagan and Christian Creeds by Edward Carpenter: curb the terrific and demonic violence of passions which
else indeed might easily rend the community asunder.
And so on. It is easy to see that granted an early stage
of simple unreflecting nature-consciousness, and granting
this broken into and, after a time, shattered by the arrival
of SELF-consciousness there would necessarily follow in
spontaneous yet logical order a whole series of religious
institutions and beliefs, which phantasmal and unreal
as they may appear to us, were by no means unreal to our
ancestors. It is easy also to see that as the psychological
process was necessarily of similar general character in every
Pagan and Christian Creeds |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from King Henry VI by William Shakespeare: NORTHUMBERLAND.
Be thou a prey unto the house of York,
And die in bands for this unmanly deed!
CLIFFORD.
In dreadful war mayst thou be overcome,
Or live in peace abandon'd and despis'd!
[Exeunt Northumberland, Clifford, and Westmoreland.]
WARWICK.
Turn this way, Henry, and regard them not.
EXETER.
They seek revenge, and therefore will not yield.
|
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 Mysterious Island by Jules Verne: colonists disembarked, and a fire was soon lighted under a clump
of trees, among the branches of which Cyrus Harding and his
companions could, if it was necessary, take refuge for the night.
Supper was quickly devoured, for they were very hungry, and then there
was only sleeping to think of. But, as roarings of rather a suspicious
nature had been heard during the evening, a good fire was made up for the
night, so as to protect the sleepers with its crackling flames. Neb and
Pencroft also watched by turns, and did not spare fuel. They thought they
saw the dark forms of some wild animals prowling round the camp among the
bushes, but the night passed without incident, and the next day, the 31st
of October, at five o'clock in the morning, all were on foot, ready for a
The Mysterious Island |
