| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Cavalry General by Xenophon: man to this post, whose bravery will tell; and in case of need at any
time to charge the enemy, the cheering accents of his voice will
infuse strength into those in front; or when the critical moment of
retreat arrives, his sage conduct in retiring will go far, we may well
conclude, towards saving his division.[8]
[7] {ton aphegoumenon}, lit. "him who leads back" (a function which
would devolve upon the {ouragos} under many circumstances). Cf.
"Cyrop." II. iii. 21; "Hell." IV. viii. 37; Plat. "Laws," 760 D. =
our "officer serre-file," to some extent. So Courier: "Celui qui
commande en serre-file. C'est chez nous le capitaine en second."
[8] Or, "the rest of the squadron." Lit. "his own tribesmen."
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad: at the idea. It gave me some trouble, because I had to cut out the
bottom first and solder it on again afterwards. When prepared for
use, the can enclosed a wide-mouthed, well-corked jar of thick
glass packed around with some wet clay and containing sixteen
ounces of X2 green powder. The detonator was connected with the
screw top of the can. It was ingenious - a combination of time and
shock. I explained the system to him. It was a thin tube of tin
enclosing a - "
Ossipon's attention had wandered.
"What do you think has happened?" he interrupted.
"Can't tell. Screwed the top on tight, which would make the
The Secret Agent |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Beast in the Jungle by Henry James: soft. This, prompting bewilderment, made him but gape the more
gratefully for her revelation, so that they continued for some
minutes silent, her face shining at him, her contact imponderably
pressing, and his stare all kind but all expectant. The end, none
the less, was that what he had expected failed to come to him.
Something else took place instead, which seemed to consist at first
in the mere closing of her eyes. She gave way at the same instant
to a slow fine shudder, and though he remained staring--though he
stared in fact but the harder--turned off and regained her chair.
It was the end of what she had been intending, but it left him
thinking only of that.
|
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 Symposium by Xenophon: [49] "And police agents."
[50] Cf. "Mem." II. viii. 1.
[51] {phoros}, tributum. Al. "property-tax." Cf. "Econ." ii. 6.
[52] {telos}, vectigal. Sturz, "Lex. Xen." s.v. Cf. "Pol. Ath." i. 3.
And there is another thing. So long as I was rich, they threw in my
teeth as a reproach that I was friends with Socrates, but now that I
am become a beggar no one troubles his head two straws about the
matter. Once more, the while I rolled in plenty I had everything to
lose, and, as a rule, I lost it; what the state did not exact, some
mischance stole from me. But now that is over. I lose nothing, having
nought to lose; but, on the contrary, I have everything to gain, and
The Symposium |
