| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The King of the Golden River by John Ruskin: brothers, unable longer to contend with the adverse skies, abandoned
their valueless patrimony in despair, to seek some means of gaining
a livelihood among the cities and people of the plains. All their
money was gone, and they had nothing left but some curious old-
fashioned pieces of gold plate, the last remnants of their ill-
gotten wealth.
"Suppose we turn goldsmiths," said Schwartz to Hans as they
entered the large city. "It is a good knave's trade; we can put a
great deal of copper into the gold without anyone's finding it out."
The thought was agreed to be a very good one; they hired a
furnace and turned goldsmiths. But two slight circumstances
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Koran: good, and give thanks for the favours of God, if it be Him ye serve.
He has only forbidden you that which dies of itself, and blood,
and the flesh of swine, and that which is devoted to other than God;
but he who is forced, neither revolting nor transgressing, it is no
sin for him: verily, God is forgiving and merciful.
And say not of the lie your tongues pronounce, 'This is lawful,
and this is unlawful,' forging against God a lie; verily, those who
forge against God a lie shall not prosper. A little enjoyment- then
for them is grievous woe!
For those who are Jews we have forbidden what we have narrated to
thee before; we did not wrong them, but it was themselves they
The Koran |
