| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Moral Emblems by Robert Louis Stevenson: Will cram his belly full of fish.
Poem: III
The Abbot for a walk went out,
A wealthy cleric, very stout,
And Robin has that Abbot stuck
As the red hunter spears the buck.
The djavel or the javelin
Has, you observe, gone bravely in,
And you may hear that weapon whack
Bang through the middle of his back.
HENCE WE MAY LEARN THAT ABBOTS SHOULD
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Gorgias by Plato: CALLICLES: I should imagine that the cowards are more pained.
SOCRATES: And are they not better pleased at the enemy's departure?
CALLICLES: I dare say.
SOCRATES: Then are the foolish and the wise and the cowards and the brave
all pleased and pained, as you were saying, in nearly equal degree; but are
the cowards more pleased and pained than the brave?
CALLICLES: Yes.
SOCRATES: But surely the wise and brave are the good, and the foolish and
the cowardly are the bad?
CALLICLES: Yes.
SOCRATES: Then the good and the bad are pleased and pained in a nearly
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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 Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne: to the hate caused by slavery was not united the hate due to
the antagonism of the Greek and Mussulman religions.
For some time, indeed, the Tartars of Turkestan had en-
deavored, both by force and persuasion, to subdue the
Kirghiz hordes.
A few words only with respect to these Tartars. The
Tartars belong more especially to two distinct races, the
Caucasian and the Mongolian. The Caucasian race, which,
as Abel de Remusat says, "is regarded in Europe as the
type of beauty in our species, because all the nations in this
part of the world have sprung from it," includes also the
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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 Othello by William Shakespeare: Cas. An inuiting eye:
And yet me thinkes right modest
Iago. And when she speakes,
Is it not an Alarum to Loue?
Cas. She is indeed perfection
Iago. Well: happinesse to their Sheetes. Come Lieutenant,
I haue a stope of Wine, and heere without are a
brace of Cyprus Gallants, that would faine haue a measure
to the health of blacke Othello
Cas. Not to night, good Iago, I haue very poore,
and vnhappie Braines for drinking. I could well wish
Othello |
