| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Hamlet by William Shakespeare: Hath giuen me this: now gather, and surmise.
The Letter.
To the Celestiall, and my Soules Idoll, the most beautifed Ophelia.
That's an ill Phrase, a vilde Phrase, beautified is a vilde
Phrase: but you shall heare these in her excellent white
bosome, these
Qu. Came this from Hamlet to her
Pol. Good Madam stay awhile, I will be faithfull.
Doubt thou, the Starres are fire,
Doubt, that the Sunne doth moue:
Doubt Truth to be a Lier,
Hamlet |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Euthydemus by Plato: He assented.
And a slow man less than a quick; and one who had dull perceptions of
seeing and hearing less than one who had keen ones?
All this was mutually allowed by us.
Then, I said, Cleinias, the sum of the matter appears to be that the goods
of which we spoke before are not to be regarded as goods in themselves, but
the degree of good and evil in them depends on whether they are or are not
under the guidance of knowledge: under the guidance of ignorance, they are
greater evils than their opposites, inasmuch as they are more able to
minister to the evil principle which rules them; and when under the
guidance of wisdom and prudence, they are greater goods: but in themselves
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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 Lady Baltimore by Owen Wister: "He hit me fuss," got himself out of the house with the most agreeable
rapidity.
Daddy Ben sat up, and his first inquiry greatly reassured me as to his
state. He stared at my paper bundle. "You done make him hollah wid dat,
sah!"
I showed him the kettle-supporter through a rent in its wrapping, and I
assisted him to stand upright. His injuries proved fortunately to be
slight (although I may say here that the shock to his ancient body kept
him away for a few days from the churchyard), and when I began to talk to
him about the incident, he seemed unwilling to say much in answer to my
questions. And when I offered to accompany him to where he lived, he
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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 Lady Susan by Jane Austen: Lady Susan and the silent dejection of Frederica, I am led to believe as
heretofore that the former has no real love for her daughter, and has never
done her justice or treated her affectionately. I have not been able to
have any conversation with my niece; she is shy, and I think I can see that
some pains are taken to prevent her being much with me. Nothing
satisfactory transpires as to her reason for running away. Her kind-hearted
uncle, you may be sure, was too fearful of distressing her to ask many
questions as they travelled. I wish it had been possible for me to fetch
her instead of him. I think I should have discovered the truth in the
course of a thirty-mile journey. The small pianoforte has been removed
within these few days, at Lady Susan's request, into her dressing-room, and
Lady Susan |
