| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy: that Fitzpiers was within a mile of her still. she felt relieved
that he did not write more bitterly of the quarrel with her
father, whatever its nature might have been; but the general
frigidity of his communication quenched in her the incipient spark
that events had kindled so shortly before.
From this centre of information it was made known in Hintock that
the doctor had gone away, and as none but the Melbury household
was aware that he did not return on the night of his accident, no
excitement manifested itself in the village.
Thus the early days of May passed by. None but the nocturnal
birds and animals observed that late one evening, towards the
The Woodlanders |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Man against the Sky by Edwin Arlington Robinson: Show me with a sign
Why it was that you forgot
What was yours and mine.
Friends, I gather, are small things
In an age when coins are kings;
Even at that, one hardly flings
Friends before swine.
Rather strong? I knew as much,
For it made you speak.
No offense to swine, as such,
But why this hide-and-seek?
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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 Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne: at your beards, and lay open a story to the world you little dream of.
End of the Second Volume.
Volume the Third.
Dixero si quid forte jocosius, hoc mihi juris
Cum venia dabis.--Hor.
--Si quis calumnietur levius esse quam decet theologum, aut mordacius quam
deceat Christianum--non Ego, sed Democritus dixit.--Erasmus.
Si quis Clericus, aut Monachus, verba joculatoria, risum moventia, sciebat,
anathema esto. Second Council of Carthage.
To the Right Honorable John, Lord Viscount Spencer.
My Lord,
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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 Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart: out. We won't hurt you, if you'll come peaceably."
"Tell him we represent the law," I prompted. "That's the customary
thing, you know."
But at that moment a bullet came squarely through the door and
flattened itself with a sharp pst against the wall of the tower
staircase. We ducked unanimously, dropped back out of range, and
Hotchkiss retaliated with a spirited bang at the door with the tongs.
This brought another bullet. It was a ridiculous situation. Under
the circumstances, no doubt, we should have retired, at least until
we had armed ourselves, but Hotchkiss had no end of fighting spirit,
and as for me, my blood was up.
The Man in Lower Ten |
