| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Symposium by Xenophon: expense: his attendant was much galled with carrying, nothing but an
empty bread-basket.[27] To this announcement Callias, appealing to his
guests, replied: "It would never do to begrudge the shelter of one's
roof:[28] let him come in." And as he spoke, he glanced across to
where Autolycus was seated, as if to say: "I wonder how you take the
jest."
[25] Lit. "him who answers the knock," "the concierge" or hall-porter.
Cf. Theophr. "Char." xiv. 7; Aristot. "Oec." i. 6.
[26] Lit. "and why he wished to put up."
[27] Lit. "and being breakfastless"; cf. Theocr. i. 51. The jester's
humour resembles Pistol's ("Merry Wives," i. 3. 23) "O base
The Symposium |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling: Dick's fault--"
"A lot I should have cared whose fault it was, if it hurt!"
said the young mule.
"You must," said the troop horse. "If you don't trust your
man, you may as well run away at once. That's what some of our
horses do, and I don't blame them. As I was saying, it wasn't
Dick's fault. The man was lying on the ground, and I stretched
myself not to tread on him, and he slashed up at me. Next time I
have to go over a man lying down I shall step on him--hard."
"H'm!" said Billy. "It sounds very foolish. Knives are dirty
things at any time. The proper thing to do is to climb up a
The Jungle Book |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Mrs. Warren's Profession by George Bernard Shaw: than forty thousand pounds standing in the name of Sir George
Crofts, Baronet, the chief shareholder. Premises at Brussels,
Ostend, Vienna, and Budapest. Managing director: Mrs Warren";
and now dont let us forget h e r qualifications: the two words.
[She writes the words and pushes the paper to them]. There! Oh
no: dont read it: dont! [She snatches it back and tears it to
pieces; then seizes her head in her hands and hides her face on
the table].
[Frank, who has watched the writing over her shoulder, and opened
his eyes very widely at it, takes a card from his pocket;
scribbles the two words on it; and silently hands it to Praed,
|
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 Crito by Plato: upon this point have no common ground, and can only despise one another
when they see how widely they differ. Tell me, then, whether you agree
with and assent to my first principle, that neither injury nor retaliation
nor warding off evil by evil is ever right. And shall that be the premiss
of our argument? Or do you decline and dissent from this? For so I have
ever thought, and continue to think; but, if you are of another opinion,
let me hear what you have to say. If, however, you remain of the same mind
as formerly, I will proceed to the next step.
CRITO: You may proceed, for I have not changed my mind.
SOCRATES: Then I will go on to the next point, which may be put in the
form of a question:--Ought a man to do what he admits to be right, or ought
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