| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Across The Plains by Robert Louis Stevenson: important than the services of a colonel? Perhaps they forget on
how little Millet was content to live; or do they think, because
they have less genius, they stand excused from the display of equal
virtues? But upon one point there should be no dubiety: if a man
be not frugal, he has no business in the arts. If he be not
frugal, he steers directly for that last tragic scene of LE VIEUX
SALTIMBANQUE; if he be not frugal, he will find it hard to continue
to be honest. Some day, when the butcher is knocking at the door,
he may be tempted, he may be obliged, to turn out and sell a
slovenly piece of work. If the obligation shall have arisen
through no wantonness of his own, he is even to be commanded; for
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Koran: gilding,-for, verily, all that is a provision of the life of this
world, but the hereafter is better with thy Lord for those who fear!
And whosoever turns from the reminder of the Merciful One, we will
chain to him a devil, who shall be his mate; and, verily, these
shall turn them from the path while they reckon that they are guided
until when he comes to us he shall say, 'O, would that between me
and thee there were the distance of the two orients, for an evil
mate (art thou)!' But it shall not avail you on that day, since ye
were unjust; verily, in the torment shall ye share!
What! canst thou make the deaf to hear, or guide the blind, or him
who is in obvious error?
The Koran |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Silverado Squatters by Robert Louis Stevenson: this, we struggled toughly upwards, canted to and fro by the
roughness of the trail, and continually switched across the
face by sprays of leaf or blossom. The last is no great
inconvenience at home; but here in California it is a matter
of some moment. For in all woods and by every wayside there
prospers an abominable shrub or weed, called poison-oak,
whose very neighbourhood is venomous to some, and whose
actual touch is avoided by the most impervious.
The two houses, with their vineyards, stood each in a green
niche of its own in this steep and narrow forest dell.
Though they were so near, there was already a good difference
|
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 Call of the Wild by Jack London: travel pride had gripped him, and he purposed to make the record
trip of the year. Several things favored him in this. The week's
rest had recuperated the dogs and put them in thorough trim. The
trail they had broken into the country was packed hard by later
journeyers. And further, the police had arranged in two or three
places deposits of grub for dog and man, and he was travelling
light.
They made Sixty Mile, which is a fifty-mile run, on the first day;
and the second day saw them booming up the Yukon well on their way
to Pelly. But such splendid running was achieved not without
great trouble and vexation on the part of Francois. The insidious
|
