| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Wrong Box by Stevenson & Osbourne: residence. And yet it had a character of its own, such as may
well quicken the pulse of the reader's curiosity. For here was
the home of an artist--and a distinguished artist too, highly
distinguished by his ill-success--which had never been made the
subject of an article in the illustrated magazines. No
wood-engraver had ever reproduced 'a corner in the back
drawing-room' or 'the studio mantelpiece' of No. 7; no young lady
author had ever commented on 'the unaffected simplicity' with
which Mr Pitman received her in the midst of his 'treasures'. It
is an omission I would gladly supply, but our business is only
with the backward parts and 'abject rear' of this aesthetic
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Koran: who calls us liars and turns his back."'
Said he, 'And who is your Lord, O Moses?'
He said, 'Our Lord is He who gave everything its creation, then
guided it.'
Said he, 'And what of the former generations?'
He said, 'The knowledge of them is with my Lord in a book; my Lord
misleads not, nor forgets!
Who made for you the earth a bed; and has traced for you paths
therein; and has sent down from the sky water,-and we have brought
forth thereby divers sorts of different vegetables. Eat and pasture
your cattle therefrom; verily, in that are signs to those endued
The Koran |
