| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Phaedo by Plato: you; although I know not that the art of Glaucus could prove the truth of
my tale, which I myself should never be able to prove, and even if I could,
I fear, Simmias, that my life would come to an end before the argument was
completed. I may describe to you, however, the form and regions of the
earth according to my conception of them.
That, said Simmias, will be enough.
Well, then, he said, my conviction is, that the earth is a round body in
the centre of the heavens, and therefore has no need of air or any similar
force to be a support, but is kept there and hindered from falling or
inclining any way by the equability of the surrounding heaven and by her
own equipoise. For that which, being in equipoise, is in the centre of
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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: appearances. For why did the old reprobate require the bottle?"
"My husband," said Kokua, humbly, "his purpose may have been good."
Keawe laughed like an angry man.
"Fiddle-de-dee!" cried Keawe. "An old rogue, I tell you; and an
old ass to boot. For the bottle was hard enough to sell at four
centimes; and at three it will be quite impossible. The margin is
not broad enough, the thing begins to smell of scorching - brrr!"
said he, and shuddered. "It is true I bought it myself at a cent,
when I knew not there were smaller coins. I was a fool for my
pains; there will never be found another: and whoever has that
bottle now will carry it to the pit."
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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 Oakdale Affair by Edgar Rice Burroughs: it could not escape without being seen. In the mean
time Burton telephoned to Oakdale for reinforcements,
as it would require fifty men at least to properly beat the
tangled underbrush of the wood.
o o o
In a clump of willows beside the little stream which
winds through the town of Payson a party of four halted
on the outskirts of the town. There were two men, two
young women and a huge brown bear. The men and
women were, obviously, Gypsies. Their clothing, their
head-dress, their barbaric ornamentation proclaimed the
The Oakdale Affair |
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 Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: until I have had speech with Mr. Trenchard."
There was about his mien and voice a firmness that forewarned Albemarle
that to insist would be worse than idle. A slight pause followed his
words, and Luttrell leaned across to whisper in His Grace's ear; from
the Duke's other side Sir Edward bent his head forward till it almost
touched those of his companions. Blake watched, and was most foolishly
impatient.
"Your Grace will never allow this!" he cried.
"Eh?" said Albemarle, scowling at him.
"If you allow those two villains to consort together we are all undone,"
the baronet protested, and ruined what chance there was of Albemarle's
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