| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: his sword through the fellow before he could recover to
deliver another blow.
I should have died even then but for that as my sword
was tight wedged in the breastbone of a Dator of the First
Born. As the fellow went down I snatched his sword from
him and over his prostrate body looked into the eyes of
the one whose quick hand had saved me from the first cut of
his sword--it was Phaidor, daughter of Matai Shang.
"Fly, my Prince!" she cried. "It is useless to fight them
longer. All within the arena are dead. All who charged
the throne are dead but you and this youth. Only among
The Gods of Mars |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from From London to Land's End by Daniel Defoe: "Now came the last consultation for their lives. The other of the
boys said he had been in a certain creek in the Isle of Wight,
where, between the rocks, he knew there was room to run the ship
in, and at least to save their lives, and that he saw the place
just that moment; so he desired the man to let him have the helm,
and he would do his best and venture it. The man gave him the
helm, and he stood directly in among the rocks, the people standing
on the shore thinking they were mad, and that they would in a few
minutes be dashed in a thousand pieces.
"But when they came nearer, and the people found they steered as if
they knew the place, they made signals to them to direct them as
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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 What is Man? by Mark Twain: of pleading, the law of escapes and of contempt of court, in the
principles of evidence, both technical and philosophical, in the
distinction between the temporal and spiritual tribunals, in the
law of attainder and forfeiture, in the requisites of a valid
marriage, in the presumption of legitimacy, in the learning of
the law of prerogative, in the inalienable character of the
Crown, this mastership appears with surprising authority."
To all this testimony (and there is much more which I have
not cited) may now be added that of a great lawyer of our own
times, VIZ.: Sir James Plaisted Wilde, Q.C. 1855, created a
Baron of the Exchequer in 1860, promoted to the post of Judge-
What is Man? |
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 Deputy of Arcis by Honore de Balzac: which he came.
"I shall write nothing," he said to the mistress of the inn. "If any
one questions you, you can say I refused; and you may send the sub-
prefect to see me, for I have no passport. I dare say that many
persons will make inquiries about me, madame, and you can tell them
just what you like. I wish you to know nothing about me. If you worry
me on this point, I shall go to the Hotel de la Poste on the Place du
Pont and remain there for the fortnight I propose to spend here. I
should be sorry for that, because I know that you are the sister of
Gothard, one of the heroes of the Simeuse affair."
"Enough, monsieur," said the sister of the steward of Cinq-Cygne.
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