| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Ion by Plato: themes which all other poets handle? Is not war his great argument? and
does he not speak of human society and of intercourse of men, good and bad,
skilled and unskilled, and of the gods conversing with one another and with
mankind, and about what happens in heaven and in the world below, and the
generations of gods and heroes? Are not these the themes of which Homer
sings?
ION: Very true, Socrates.
SOCRATES: And do not the other poets sing of the same?
ION: Yes, Socrates; but not in the same way as Homer.
SOCRATES: What, in a worse way?
ION: Yes, in a far worse.
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Marriage Contract by Honore de Balzac: he had been secretly in love with the queen of Bordeaux, the great
beauty, Mademoiselle Evangelista.
About the beginning of the century, a rich Spaniard, named
Evangelista, established himself in Bordeaux, where his letters of
recommendation, as well as his large fortune, gave him an entrance to
the salons of the nobility. His wife contributed greatly to maintain
him in the good graces of an aristocracy which may perhaps have
adopted him in the first instance merely to pique the society of the
class below them. Madame Evangelista, who belonged to the Casa-Reale,
an illustrious family of Spain, was a Creole, and, like all women
served by slaves, she lived as a great lady, knew nothing of the value
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare: [Exeunt LUCENTIO and BIANCA.]
GREMIO.
My cake is dough, but I'll in among the rest;
Out of hope of all but my share of the feast.
[Exit.]
[PETRUCHIO and KATHERINA advance.]
KATHERINA.
Husband, let's follow to see the end of this ado.
PETRUCHIO.
First kiss me, Kate, and we will.
KATHERINA.
The Taming of the Shrew |
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 Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy: "I did find him at last," continued Lord Fancourt, "and gave
him your message. He said that he would give orders at once for the
horses to be put to."
"Ah!" she said, still very absently, "you found my husband,
and gave him my message?"
"Yes; he was in the dining-room fast asleep. I could not
manage to wake him up at first."
"Thank you very much," she said mechanically, trying to
collect her thoughts.
"Will your ladyship honour me with the CONTREDANSE until
your coach is ready?" asked Lord Fancourt.
The Scarlet Pimpernel |
