| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Cavalry General by Xenophon: to be, supposing the approach or the imminent arrival of the enemy
were to be announced. Let a spy be ever so faithful, there is always
the risk he may fail to report his intelligence at the critical
moment, since the obstacles which present themselves in war are not to
be counted on the fingers.
[10] Cf. "Cyrop." VI. i. 39, where one of the Persians, Araspas,
undertakes to play this role to good effect.
But to proceed to another topic. The enemy is less likely to get wind
of an advance of cavalry, if the orders for march were passed from
mouth to mouth rather than announced by voice of herald, or public
notice.[11] Accordingly, in addition to[12] this method of ordering
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Emma by Jane Austen: will not take it amiss I hope. Of course I have not transcribed
beyond the first eight lines."
Mr. Elton certainly did not very well know what to say.
He looked rather doubtingly--rather confused; said something about
"honour,"--glanced at Emma and at Harriet, and then seeing the book
open on the table, took it up, and examined it very attentively.
With the view of passing off an awkward moment, Emma smilingly said,
"You must make my apologies to your friend; but so good a charade
must not be confined to one or two. He may be sure of every woman's
approbation while he writes with such gallantry."
"I have no hesitation in saying," replied Mr. Elton, though hesitating
Emma |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Travels of Sir John Mandeville by Sir John Mandeville: made twelve cities of the same name; but that city is now clept
Celsite.
And from that other coast of Chaldea, toward the south, is
Ethiopia, a great country that stretcheth to the end of Egypt.
Ethiopia is departed in two parts principal, and that is in the
east part and in the meridional part; the which part meridional is
clept Mauritania; and the folk of that country be black enough and
more black than in the tother part, and they be clept Moors. In
that part is a well, that in the day it is so cold, that no man may
drink thereof; and in the night it is so hot, that no man may
suffer his hand therein. And beyond that part, toward the south,
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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 Crowd by Gustave le Bon: the crimes, imaginary though they were, which the traitor had
committed. We have here, in my opinion, one of the most
remarkable indications of the mental state of crowds, and
especially of the facility with which they are suggestioned. The
unreal has almost as much influence on them as the real. They
have an evident tendency not to distinguish between the two.
The power of conquerors and the strength of States is based on
the popular imagination. It is more particularly by working upon
this imagination that crowds are led. All great historical
facts, the rise of Buddhism, of Christianity, of Islamism, the
Reformation, the French Revolution, and, in our own time, the
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