| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Adam Bede by George Eliot: lost mother, whose face we begin to see in the glass as our own
wrinkles come, once fretted our young souls with her anxious
humours and irrational persistence.
It is such a fond anxious mother's voice that you hear, as Lisbeth
says, "Well, my lad, it's gone seven by th' clock. Thee't allays
stay till the last child's born. Thee wants thy supper, I'll
warrand. Where's Seth? Gone arter some o's chapellin', I
reckon?"
"Aye, aye, Seth's at no harm, mother, thee mayst be sure.
But where's father?" said Adam quickly, as he entered the house
and glanced into the room on the left hand, which was used as a
Adam Bede |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Kenilworth by Walter Scott: cockles of our ancient kindness?--shall we not collogue, I say?"
"With all my heart, kinsman," said mine host, who obviously
wished to be rid of him; "but are you to stand shot to all this
good liquor?"
This is a question has quelled many a jovial toper, but it moved
not the purpose of Lambourne's soul, "Question my means, nuncle?"
he said, producing a handful of mixed gold and silver pieces;
"question Mexico and Peru--question the Queen's exchequer--God
save her Majesty!--she is my good Lord's good mistress."
"Well, kinsman," said mine host, "it is my business to sell wine
to those who can buy it--so, Jack Tapster, do me thine office.
Kenilworth |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Koran: bring their malice forth?
But did we please we would show thee them, and thou shouldst know
them by their cognisances. But thou shalt known them by their
distorting their speech, and God knows their works!
But we will try you until we know those among you who fight
strenuously and the patient; and we will try the reports concerning
you.
Verily, those who misbelieve and turn folks off God's path, and
break with the Apostle after the guidance that has been manifested
to them, cannot harm God at all, and their works shall be void!
O ye who believe! obey God, and obey the Apostle; and make not
The Koran |
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 Unseen World and Other Essays by John Fiske: they robbed the spirit of intolerance of its only philosophical
excuse for existing. Hitherto the orthodox had been intolerant
toward the philosophers because they considered them heretics;
and the philosophers had been intolerant toward the orthodox
because they considered them fools. To Voltaire it naturally
seemed that a man who could believe in the reality of miracles
must be what in French is expressively termed a sot. But
henceforth, to the disciple of Lessing, men of all shade of
opinion were but the representatives and exponents of different
phases in the general evolution of human intelligence, not
necessarily to be disliked or despised if they did not happen to
The Unseen World and Other Essays |
