| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Magic of Oz by L. Frank Baum: "No," acknowledged the sailor-man; "it's pretty heavy. I could carry
it for a little while, but I'd have to stop to rest every few minutes."
"Couldn't we put it on your back?" Dorothy asked the Cowardly Lion,
with a good-natured yawn.
"I don't object to carrying it, if you can fasten it on," answered
the Lion.
"If it falls off," said Trot, "it might get smashed an' be ruined."
"I'll fix it," promised Cap'n Bill. "I'll make a flat board out of
one of these tree trunks, an' tie the board on the lion's back, an'
set the flower-pot on the board." He set to work at once to do this,
but as he only had his big knife for a tool his progress was slow.
The Magic of Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Parmenides by Plato: Right.
And, being of such a nature, it cannot be in any place, for it cannot be
either in another or in itself.
How so?
Because if it were in another, it would be encircled by that in which it
was, and would touch it at many places and with many parts; but that which
is one and indivisible, and does not partake of a circular nature, cannot
be touched all round in many places.
Certainly not.
But if, on the other hand, one were in itself, it would also be contained
by nothing else but itself; that is to say, if it were really in itself;
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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 Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley: Out of her log was stole:
But Neptune kind, with favoring wind,
Hath brought her safe and whole."
"Now, lads!" cried Neptune; "hand me my parable that's writ for me,
and here goeth!"
And at the top of his bull-voice, he began roaring--
"I am King Neptune bold,
The ruler of the seas
I don't understand much singing upon land,
But I hope what I say will please.
"Here be five Bideford men,
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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 Moby Dick by Herman Melville: much better entitled to St. George's decoration than they.
Whether to admit Hercules among us or not, concerning this I long
remained dubious: for though according to the Greek mythologies, that
antique Crockett and Kit Carson--that brawny doer of rejoicing good
deeds, was swallowed down and thrown up by a whale; still, whether
that strictly makes a whaleman of him, that might be mooted. It
nowhere appears that he ever actually harpooned his fish, unless,
indeed, from the inside. Nevertheless, he may be deemed a sort of
involuntary whaleman; at any rate the whale caught him, if he did not
the whale. I claim him for one of our clan.
But, by the best contradictory authorities, this Grecian story of
Moby Dick |
