| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Plutarch's Lives by A. H. Clough: remains sound. Terror and the law were now to keep guard over the
citizens' houses, to prevent any money entering into them; but their
minds could no longer be expected to remain superior to the desire of
it, when wealth in general was thus set up to be striven after, as a
high and noble object. On this point, however, we have given our
censure of the Lacedaemonians in one of our other writings.
Lysander erected out of the spoils brazen statues at Delphi of
himself, and of every one of the masters of the ships, as also
figures of the golden stars of Castor and Pollux, which vanished
before the battle at Leuctra. In the treasury of Brasidas and the
Acanthians, there was a trireme made of gold and ivory, of two
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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 Jolly Corner by Henry James: within the street, two bristling blocks westward, was already in
course of reconstruction as a tall mass of flats; he had acceded,
some time before, to overtures for this conversion - in which, now
that it was going forward, it had been not the least of his
astonishments to find himself able, on the spot, and though without
a previous ounce of such experience, to participate with a certain
intelligence, almost with a certain authority. He had lived his
life with his back so turned to such concerns and his face
addressed to those of so different an order that he scarce knew
what to make of this lively stir, in a compartment of his mind
never yet penetrated, of a capacity for business and a sense for
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from In the Cage by Henry James: That ought to have been easy enough, for what was she arranging to
get? Before he could answer she had continued: "To be perfectly
fair I should tell you I recognise at Cocker's certain strong
attractions. All you people come. I like all the horrors."
"The horrors?"
"Those you all--you know the set I mean, YOUR set--show me with as
good a conscience as if I had no more feeling than a letter-box."
He looked quite excited at the way she put it. "Oh they don't
know!"
"Don't know I'm not stupid? No, how should they?"
"Yes, how should they?" said the Captain sympathetically. "But
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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 Augsburg Confession by Philip Melanchthon: not only has Paul commanded to use in the church a language
understood by the people 1 Cor. 14,2. 9, but it has also been
so ordained by man's law. The people are accustomed to partake
of the Sacrament together, if any be fit for it, and this also
increases the reverence and devotion of public worship. For
none are admitted except they be first examined. The people
are also advised concerning the dignity and use of the
Sacrament, how great consolation it brings anxious
consciences, that they may learn to believe God, and to expect
and ask of Him all that is good. [In this connection they are
also instructed regarding other and false teachings on the
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