| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Caesar's Commentaries in Latin by Julius Caesar: iurando neque obsidibus teneretur. Sed peius victoribus Sequanis quam
Haeduis victis accidisse, propterea quod Ariovistus, rex Germanorum, in
eorum finibus consedisset tertiamque partem agri Sequani, qui esset
optimus totius Galliae, occupavisset et nunc de altera parte tertia
Sequanos decedere iuberet, propterea quod paucis mensibus ante Harudum
milia hominum XXIIII ad eum venissent, quibus locus ac sedes pararentur.
Futurum esse paucis annis uti omnes ex Galliae finibus pellerentur atque
omnes Germani Rhenum transirent; neque enim conferendum esse Gallicum cum
Germanorum agro neque hanc consuetudinem victus cum illa comparandam.
Ariovistum autem, ut semel Gallorum copias proelio vicerit, quod proelium
factum sit ad Magetobrigam, superbe et crudeliter imperare, obsides
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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 Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce: about this beast might be compiled a library of great splendor and
magnitude, rivalling that of the Shakespearean cult, and that which
clusters about the Bible. It may be said, generally, that all
literature is more or less Asinine.
"Hail, holy Ass!" the quiring angels sing;
"Priest of Unreason, and of Discords King!"
Great co-Creator, let Thy glory shine:
God made all else, the Mule, the Mule is thine!"
G.J.
AUCTIONEER, n. The man who proclaims with a hammer that he has picked
a pocket with his tongue.
The Devil's Dictionary |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Brother of Daphne by Dornford Yates: tower above them, their leaves unshaken by the wind- it is not
difficult to grow fond of Stern.
And now we were sitting on the cliffs in the heat of the morning
sun, half a mile from the village and another from the places
where it was best to bathe.
After a while:
"Aren't you glad I made you come here?" said Daphne
triumphantly.
I sat up and stared at her sorrowfully.
"Well?" she said defiantly.
"You have taken my breath away," I said, "Kindly return it, and I
The Brother of Daphne |
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 Memoir of Fleeming Jenkin by Robert Louis Stevenson: a toy steamboat, Fleeming made him begin with a proper drawing -
doubtless to the disgust of the young engineer; but once that
foundation laid, helped in the work with unflagging gusto,
'tinkering away,' for hours, and assisted at the final trial 'in
the big bath' with no less excitement than the boy. 'He would take
any amount of trouble to help us,' writes my correspondent. 'We
never felt an affair was complete till we had called him to see,
and he would come at any time, in the middle of any work.' There
was indeed one recognised playhour, immediately after the despatch
of the day's letters; and the boys were to be seen waiting on the
stairs until the mail should be ready and the fun could begin. But
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