| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Polity of Athenians and Lacedaemonians by Xenophon: of commander-in-chief in his relationship to men.[21]
[19] The MSS. give {au}, "is again," but the word {mentoi}, "however,"
and certain passages in "Hell." II. ii. 12, 13; II. iv. 38 suggest
the negative {ou} in place of {au}. If {au} be right, then we
should read {ephoren} in place of {basileos}, "belongs to the
ephors."
[20] Technically the {tamiai}.
[21] See Aristot. "Pol." iii. 14.
XIV[1]
Now, if the question be put to me, Do you maintain that the laws of
Lycurgus remain still to this day unchanged? that indeed is an
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Cratylus by Plato: HERMOGENES: From these sort of Gods, by all means, Socrates. But why
should we not discuss another kind of Gods--the sun, moon, stars, earth,
aether, air, fire, water, the seasons, and the year?
SOCRATES: You impose a great many tasks upon me. Still, if you wish, I
will not refuse.
HERMOGENES: You will oblige me.
SOCRATES: How would you have me begin? Shall I take first of all him whom
you mentioned first--the sun?
HERMOGENES: Very good.
SOCRATES: The origin of the sun will probably be clearer in the Doric
form, for the Dorians call him alios, and this name is given to him because
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Poems of Goethe, Bowring, Tr. by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Loving, though old and grey,
Dschemil saw Boteinah.
Love's sweet caprice anon,
Brown maid + and Solomon!
If thou dost mark them well,
Stronger thy love will swell.
1817.*
(+ Brown maid is the Queen of Sheba.)
-----
ONE PAIR MORE.
LOVE is indeed a glorious prize!
|
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 Elixir of Life by Honore de Balzac: that require two brothers to wear a mask if the older will
succeed to the entail, and the other to the fortune of a younger
son. The whole civilization of Europe turns upon the principle of
hereditary succession as upon a pivot; it would be madness to
subvert the principle; but could we not, in an age that prides
itself upon its mechanical inventions, perfect this essential
portion of the social machinery?
If the author has preserved the old-fashioned style of address To
the Reader before a work wherein he endeavors to represent all
literary forms, it is for the purpose of making a remark that
applies to several of the Studies, and very specially to this.
|
