| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Men of Iron by Howard Pyle: to answer, sirrah?"
"Be silent, Lee," said Lord Mackworth, quietly. "Let the lad have
time to think before he speaketh."
The sound of the words aroused Myles. He advanced to the table,
and rested his hand upon it. "My Lord--my Lord," said he, "I know
not what to say, I--I am amazed and afeard."
"How! how!" cried Sir James Lee, harshly. "Afeard, sayst thou? An
thou art afeard, thou knave, thou needst never look upon my face
or speak to me more! I have done with thee forever an thou art
afeard even were the champion a Sir Alisander."
"Peace, peace, Lee," said the Earl, holding up his hand. "Thou
Men of Iron |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Several Works by Edgar Allan Poe: well be supposed that no ordinary appearance could have excited
such sensation. In truth the masquerade licence of the night was
nearly unlimited; but the figure in question had out-Heroded Herod,
and gone beyond the bounds of even the prince's indefinite decorum.
There are chords in the hearts of the most reckless which cannot be
touched without emotion. Even with the utterly lost, to whom life
and death are equally jests, there are matters of which no jest can
be made. The whole company, indeed, seemed now deeply to feel that
in the costume and bearing of the stranger neither wit nor
propriety existed. The figure was tall and gaunt, and shrouded
from head to foot in the habiliments of the grave. The mask which
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