| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Unconscious Comedians by Honore de Balzac: works at a trade. Where are you dragging the first of arts,--the art
those works are the most lasting; bringing nations to light of which
the world has long lost even the memory; an art which crowns and
consecrates great men? Yes, sculpture is priesthood; it preserves the
ideas of an epoch, and you give its chair to a maker of toys and
mantelpieces, an ornamentationist, a seller of bric-a-brac! Ah! as
Chamfort said, one has to swallow a viper every morning to endure the
life of Paris. Well, at any rate, Art remains to a few of us; they
can't prevent us from cultivating it--"
"And besides, my dear fellow, you have a consolation which few artists
possess; the future is yours," said Bixiou. "When the world is
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Island Nights' Entertainments by Robert Louis Stevenson: it appeared the sign of the cross was a charm against its power.
"'And I explain it, Misi,' said Namu, 'in this way: The country in
Europe is a Popey country, and the devil of the Evil Eye may be a
Catholic devil, or, at least, used to Catholic ways. So then I
reasoned thus: if this sign of the cross were used in a Popey
manner it would be sinful, but when it is used only to protect men
from a devil, which is a thing harmless in itself, the sign too
must be, as a bottle is neither good nor bad, harmless. For the
sign is neither good nor bad. But if the bottle be full of gin,
the gin is bad; and if the sign be made in idolatry bad, so is the
idolatry.' And, very like a native pastor, he had a text apposite
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: her own sore troubles. "Are you quite yourself again, Diana?" she
inquired.
Diana answered almost fiercely, "I am quite well." And then, with a
change to wistfulness, she added, "Oh, I would I had come with you!"
"Matters had been no different," Ruth assured her. "It was a bargain
Mr. Wilding drove. It was the price I had to pay for Richard's life and
honour." She swallowed hard, and let her hands fall limply to her
sides. "Where is Richard?" she inquired.
It was her aunt who answered her. "He went forth half an hour agone
with Mr. Vallancey and Sir Rowland."
"Sir Rowland had returned, then?" She looked up quickly.
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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 Boys' Life of Abraham Lincoln by Helen Nicolay: proclamation of emancipation, such as I thought most likely to be
useful. I said nothing to anyone, but I made the promise to
myself, and--[hesitating a little]--to my Maker. The rebel army
is now driven out, and I am going to fulfil that promise. I have
got you together to hear what I have written down. I do not wish
your advice about the main matter, for that I have determined for
myself. This I say, without intending anything but respect for
any one of you. But I already know the views of each on this
question. . . . I have considered them as thoroughly and
carefully as I can. What I have written is that which my
reflections have determined me to say. If there is anything in
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