| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Lord Arthur Savile's Crime, etc. by Oscar Wilde: was none the less shame. Yet as Shakespeare forgave him, should
not we forgive him also? I did not care to pry into the mystery of
his sin.
His abandonment of Shakespeare's theatre was a different matter,
and I investigated it at great length. Finally I came to the
conclusion that Cyril Graham had been wrong in regarding the rival
dramatist of the 80th Sonnet as Chapman. It was obviously Marlowe
who was alluded to. At the time the Sonnets were written, such an
expression as 'the proud full sail of his great verse' could not
have been used of Chapman's work, however applicable it might have
been to the style of his later Jacobean plays. No: Marlowe was
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling: "And I know that this is true," he said, "because Purun Dass
always limped from the blow that he got in a riot when his account
books were burned, and the tiger that I speak of he limps, too,
for the tracks of his pads are unequal."
"True, true, that must be the truth," said the gray-beards,
nodding together.
"Are all these tales such cobwebs and moon talk?" said Mowgli.
"That tiger limps because he was born lame, as everyone knows. To
talk of the soul of a money-lender in a beast that never had the
courage of a jackal is child's talk."
Buldeo was speechless with surprise for a moment, and the
The Jungle Book |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Montezuma's Daughter by H. Rider Haggard: in his power to wreak his vengeance on? But still my will and my
honour prevailed against my terrors, and I answered:
'I have told you, general, that I know nothing of this treasure.
Do your worst, and may God forgive you for your cruelty.'
'Dare not to speak that holy Name, apostate and worshipper of
idols, eater of human flesh. Let Sarceda be summoned.'
A messenger went out, and for a while there was silence. I caught
Marina's glance and saw pity in her gentle eyes. But she could not
help me here, for Cortes was mad because no gold had been found,
and the clamour of the soldiers for reward had worn him out and
brought him to this shameful remedy, he who was not cruel by
Montezuma's Daughter |
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 A Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne: inasmuch as one of the first of our own Church, for whose candour
and paternal sentiments I have the highest veneration, fell into
the same mistake in the very same case: - "He could not bear," he
said, "to look into the sermons wrote by the King of Denmark's
jester." Good, my Lord said I; but there are two Yoricks. The
Yorick your Lordship thinks of, has been dead and buried eight
hundred years ago; he flourished in Horwendillus's court; - the
other Yorick is myself, who have flourished, my Lord, in no court.
- He shook his head. Good God! said I, you might as well confound
Alexander the Great with Alexander the Coppersmith, my lord! -
"'Twas all one," he replied. -
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