| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Brother of Daphne by Dornford Yates: ever. After all this time, too. However. I hesitate to mention
supper, because you look so lovely sitting there, but- "
She stretched out a warm hand, and I lifted her to her feet. For
a second I held the slight fingers.
"Tell me one thing," said I. "Is there anyone who doesn't love
you?"
The fingers slipped away. "Yes, stacks of people. You wouldn't
like me a bit, only I'm not myself to-night. I'm just- just Eve.
See? New Year's Eve."
"Thomas thinks you're Jill- Miss Mansel."
"To him I am. To the temporary maid in the morning, too. As for
The Brother of Daphne |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Adieu by Honore de Balzac: The retrograde movement of those who now fell back into the plain to
escape the death before them was so violent, and their concussion
against those who were advancing from the rear so terrible, that
numbers were smothered or trampled to death. The Comte and Comtesse de
Vandieres owed their lives to their carriage, behind which Philippe
forced them, using it as a breastwork. As for the major and the
grenadier, they found their safety in their strength. They killed to
escape being killed.
This hurricane of human beings, the flux and reflux of living bodies,
had the effect of leaving for a few short moments the whole bank of
the Beresina deserted. The multitude were surging to the plain. If a
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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 The Tanach: Zechariah 11: 13 And the LORD said unto me: 'Cast it into the treasury, the goodly price that I was prized at of them.' And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them into the treasury, in the house of the LORD.
Zechariah 11: 14 Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Binders, that the brotherhood between Judah and Israel might be broken.
Zechariah 11: 15 And the LORD said unto me: 'Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.
Zechariah 11: 16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who will not think of those that are cut off, neither will seek those that are young, nor heal that which is broken; neither will he feed that which standeth still, but he will eat the flesh of the fat, and will break their hoofs in pieces.'
Zechariah 11: 17 Woe to the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock! The sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye; his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.
Zechariah 12: 1 The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. The saying of the LORD, who stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundation of the earth, and formed the spirit of man within him:
Zechariah 12: 2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of staggering unto all the peoples round about, and upon Judah also shall it fall to be in the siege against Jerusalem.
The Tanach |
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 Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley: vein for ditty or amorous ode was most lofty, insolent, and
passionate," persuaded him to follow his better genius. The great
dramatists had not yet arisen, to form completely that truly
English school, of which Spenser, unconscious of his own vast
powers, was laying the foundation. And, indeed, it was not till
Daniel, twenty years after, in his admirable apology for rhyme, had
smashed Mr. Campian and his "eight several kinds of classical
numbers," that the matter was finally settled, and the English
tongue left to go the road on which Heaven had started it. So that
we may excuse Raleigh's answering somewhat waspish to some
quotation of Spenser's from the three letters of "Immerito and G. H."
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