| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Koran: training them like dogs;- ye teach them as God taught you;- so eat
of what they catch for you, and mention the name of God over it, and
fear God, for verily, God is swift in reckoning up.'
Lawful for you to-day are good things, and the food of those to whom
the Book has been given is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for
them; and chaste women of those who believe, and chaste women of those
to whom the Book has been given before you,- when you have given
them their hire, living chastely and not fornicating, and not taking
paramours. But whoso disbelieves in the faith, of a truth his work
is vain, and he shall be in the next life of those who lose.
O ye who believe! when ye rise up to prayer wash your faces, and
The Koran |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Lord Arthur Savile's Crime, etc. by Oscar Wilde: next morning lying on the floor of the card-room in such a helpless
paralytic state, that though he lived on to a great age, he was
never able to say anything again but 'Double Sixes.' The story was
well known at the time, though, of course, out of respect to the
feelings of the two noble families, every attempt was made to hush
it up; and a full account of all the circumstances connected with
it will be found in the third volume of Lord Tattle's RECOLLECTIONS
OF THE PRINCE REGENT AND HIS FRIENDS. The ghost, then, was
naturally very anxious to show that he had not lost his influence
over the Stiltons, with whom, indeed, he was distantly connected,
his own first cousin having been married EN SECONDES NOCES to the
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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 Soul of a Bishop by H. G. Wells: comfortable rectory, the only son and sole survivor of a family
of three; he had been carefully instructed and he had been a
willing learner; it had been easy and natural to take many things
for granted. It had been very easy and pleasant for him to take
the world as he found it and God as he found Him. Indeed for all
his years up to manhood he had been able to take life exactly as
in his infancy he took his carefully warmed and prepared bottle
--unquestioningly and beneficially.
And indeed that has been the way with most bishops since
bishops began.
It is a busy continuous process that turns boys into bishops,
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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 Enemies of Books by William Blades: "Bug" Bible, 95.
Burgundy (Duchess of), 130.
Cambridge Market, 97.
Caskets (the three), Shakspeare, 6o.
Caspari (Mr.), a collector, 124.
Cassin (Convent of Mount), 49.
Caxton, William, 130.
--his use of waste leaves, go.--Canterbury Tales, used to light
a fire, 53.--Golden Legend, ditto, 52.--Lyf of oure Ladye, 89.
Caxtons saturated by rain, 22.--spoilt in binding, 107.--
discovered in British Museum, 108.
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