| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin: gain high dignities and authorities, and become "lords over the
heritage," though not "ensamples to the flock."
Now go on:-
"Of other care they little reckoning make,
Than how to scramble at the shearers' feast.
BLIND MOUTHS--"
I pause again, for this is a strange expression; a broken metaphor,
one might think, careless and unscholarly.
Not so: its very audacity and pithiness are intended to make us
look close at the phrase and remember it. Those two monosyllables
express the precisely accurate contraries of right character, in the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from St. Ives by Robert Louis Stevenson: accumulated against himself a load of suspicions.'
My visitor now paused, took snuff, and looked at me with an air of
benevolence.
'Good God, sir!' says I, 'this is a curious story.'
'You will say so before I have done,' said he. 'For there have two
events followed. The first of these was an encounter of M. de
Keroual and M. de Mauseant.'
'I know the man to my cost,' said I: 'it was through him I lost my
commission.'
'Do you tell me so?' he cried. 'Why, here is news!'
'Oh, I cannot complain!' said I. 'I was in the wrong. I did it
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