| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde: - that is stretched on the staircase wall. On the right is the
entrance to the music-room. The sound of a string quartette is
faintly heard. The entrance on the left leads to other reception-
rooms. MRS. MARCHMONT and LADY BASILDON, two very pretty women, are
seated together on a Louis Seize sofa. They are types of exquisite
fragility. Their affectation of manner has a delicate charm.
Watteau would have loved to paint them.]
MRS. MARCHMONT. Going on to the Hartlocks' to-night, Margaret?
LADY BASILDON. I suppose so. Are you?
MRS. MARCHMONT. Yes. Horribly tedious parties they give, don't
they?
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Koran: when ye are invited, then enter; and when ye have fed, disperse, not
engaging in familiar discourse. Verily, that would annoy the prophet
and he would be ashamed for your sake, but God is not ashamed of the
truth.
And when ye ask them for an article, ask them from behind a curtain;
that is purer for your hearts and for theirs. It is not right for
you to annoy the prophet of God, nor to wed his wives after him
ever; verily, that is with God a serious thing.
If ye display a thing or conceal it, verily, God all things doth
know.
There is no crime against them (if they speak unveiled) to their
The Koran |
