| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Myths and Myth-Makers by John Fiske: word at all, except by adoption. One might as well cite the
word ensemble to prove the original identity or kinship
between English and French.
When Mr. Gladstone, leaving the dangerous ground of pure and
applied philology, confines himself to illustrating the
contents of the Homeric poems, he is always excellent. His
chapter on the "Outer Geography" of the Odyssey is exceedingly
interesting; showing as it does how much may be obtained from
the patient and attentive study of even a single author. Mr.
Gladstone's knowledge of the SURFACE of the Iliad and Odyssey,
so to speak, is extensive and accurate. It is when he attempts
Myths and Myth-Makers |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The King of the Golden River by John Ruskin: he raised the flask he saw a little child lying panting by the
roadside, and it cried out piteously for water. Then Gluck
struggled with himself and determined to bear the thirst a little
longer; and he put the bottle to the child's lips, and it drank
it all but a few drops. Then it smiled on him and got up and ran
down the hill; and Gluck looked after it till it became as small
as a little star, and then turned and began climbing again. And
then there were all kinds of sweet flowers growing on the rocks--
bright green moss with pale pink, starry flowers, and soft belled
gentians, more blue than the sky at its deepest, and pure white
transparent lilies. And crimson and purple butterflies darted
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Firm of Nucingen by Honore de Balzac: see them?
" 'How much do you suppose old d'Aldrigger will leave?' Desroches
asked of Taillefer.--You remember Taillefer that gave us the finest
orgy ever known not long before he died?"
"He was in treaty for practice in 1822," said Couture. "It was a bold
thing to do, for he was the son of a poor clerk who never made more
than eighteen hundred francs a year, and his mother sold stamped
paper. But he worked very hard from 1818 to 1822. He was Derville's
fourth clerk when he came; and in 1819 he was second!"
"Desroches?"
"Yes. Desroches, like the rest of us, once groveled in the poverty of
|
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 Ball at Sceaux by Honore de Balzac: that trick."--"I assure you, monsieur," she said aloud, "that I have
had very extravagant ideas about life and the world; but now," she
added pointedly, looking at him in a perfectly distracting way, "I
know where true riches are to be found for a wife."
"I must believe that you are speaking from the depths of your heart,"
he said, with gentle gravity. "But this winter, my dear Emilie, in
less than two months perhaps, I may be proud of what I shall have to
offer you if you care for the pleasures of wealth. This is the only
secret I shall keep locked here," and he laid his hand on his heart,
"for on its success my happiness depends. I dare not say ours."
"Yes, yes, ours!"
|
