| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Little Rivers by Henry van Dyke: the Salzkammergut, the summer hunting-ground of the Austrian
Emperor, and flows through that most picturesque corner of his
domain from end to end. Under the desolate cliffs of the
Todtengebirge on the east, and below the shining ice-fields of the
Dachstein on the south, and from the green alps around St. Wolfgang
on the west, the translucent waters are gathered in little tarns,
and shot through roaring brooks, and spread into lakes of wondrous
beauty, and poured through growing streams, until at last they are
all united just below the summer villa of his Kaiserly and Kingly
Majesty, Francis Joseph, and flow away northward, through the rest
of his game-preserve, into the Traunsee. It is an imperial
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde: MISS PRISM. [Quite crushed.] Victoria. The Brighton line.
[Sinks into a chair.]
JACK. I must retire to my room for a moment. Gwendolen, wait here
for me.
GWENDOLEN. If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all
my life. [Exit JACK in great excitement.]
CHASUBLE. What do you think this means, Lady Bracknell?
LADY BRACKNELL. I dare not even suspect, Dr. Chasuble. I need
hardly tell you that in families of high position strange
coincidences are not supposed to occur. They are hardly considered
the thing.
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: immediately under the window, and fell into a dream of musing.
Never (she used to say, with streaming tears, when she narrated
that experience), never had she felt more at peace with all men
or thought more kindly of the world. And as she so sat she became
aware of an aged beautiful gentleman with white hair, drawing near
along the lane; and advancing to meet him, another and very small
gentleman, to whom at first she paid less attention. When they
had come within speech (which was just under the maid's eyes) the
older man bowed and accosted the other with a very pretty manner
of politeness. It did not seem as if the subject of his address
were of great importance; indeed, from his pointing, it some times
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde |
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 Pericles by William Shakespeare: For vice repeated is like the wandering wind,
Blows dust in others' eyes, to spread itself;
And yet the end of all is bought thus dear,
The breath is gone, and the sore eyes see clear
To stop the air would hurt them. The blind mole casts
Copp'd hills towards heaven, to tell the earth is throng'd
By man's oppression; and the poor worm doth die for't.
Kind are earth's gods; in vice their law's their will;
And if Jove stray, who dares say Jove doth ill?
It is enough you know; and it is fit,
What being more known grows worse, to smother it.
|
