| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Herodias by Gustave Flaubert: deep black shadow; Hebron, in the background, was round-topped like a
dome; Eschol had her pomegranates, Sorek her vineyards, Carmel her
fields of sesame; and the tower of Antonia, with its enormous cube,
dominated Jerusalem. The tetrarch turned his gaze from it to
contemplate the palms of Jericho on his right; and his thoughts dwelt
upon other cities of his beloved Galilee,--Capernaum, Endor, Nazareth,
Tiberias--whither it might be he would never return.
The Jordan wound its way through the arid plains that met his gaze;
white and glittering under the clear sky, it dazzled the eye like snow
in the rays of the sun.
The Dead Sea now looked like a sheet of lapis-lazuli; and at its
Herodias |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Child of Storm by H. Rider Haggard: blood ran in my veins."
On the next day the Prince Umbelazi arrived, and with him Saduko and a
few other notable men. They came quite quietly and without any
ostensible escort, although Scowl, my servant, told me he heard that the
bush at a little distance was swarming with soldiers of the Isigqosa
party. If I remember rightly, the excuse for the visit was that Umbezi
had some of a certain rare breed of white cattle whereof the prince
wished to secure young bulls and heifers to improve his herd.
Once inside the kraal, however, Umbelazi, who was a very open-natured
man, threw off all pretence, and, after greeting me heartily enough,
told me with plainness that he was there because this was a convenient
Child of Storm |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde: shallow, selfish, foolish. It has blinded its eyes, and stopped
its ears. It lies like a leper in purple. It sits like a dead
thing smeared with gold. It is all wrong, all wrong.
LADY STUTFIELD. I don't think one should know of these things. It
is not very, very nice, is it?
LADY HUNSTANTON. My dear Miss Worsley, I thought you liked English
society so much. You were such a success in it. And you were so
much admired by the best people. I quite forget what Lord Henry
Weston said of you - but it was most complimentary, and you know
what an authority he is on beauty.
HESTER. Lord Henry Weston! I remember him, Lady Hunstanton. A
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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 Fables by Robert Louis Stevenson: am I?"
"Why, look here, my man," returned the Captain, "I can't understand
how this story comes about at all, can I? I can't see how you and
I, who don't exist, should get to speaking here, and smoke our
pipes for all the world like reality? Very well, then, who am I to
pipe up with my opinions? I know the Author's on the side of good;
he tells me so, it runs out of his pen as he writes. Well, that's
all I need to know; I'll take my chance upon the rest."
"It's a fact he seemed to be against George Merry," Silver
admitted, musingly. "But George is little more'n a name at the
best of it," he added, brightening. "And to get into soundings for
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