| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Phoenix and the Turtle by William Shakespeare: Saw division grow together;
To themselves yet either-neither,
Simple were so well compounded.
That it cried how true a twain
Seemeth this concordant one!
Love hath reason, reason none
If what parts can so remain.
Whereupon it made this threne
To the phoenix and the dove,
Co-supreme and stars of love;
As chorus to their tragic scene.
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Lamentable Tragedy of Locrine and Mucedorus by William Shakespeare: ACT I. SCENE II. A Forest in Arragon.
[Enter Mouse with a bottle of Hay.]
MOUSE.
O horrible, terrible! Was ever poor Gentleman
so scared out of his seven Senses? A Bear? nay,
sure it cannot be a Bear, but some Devil in a
Bear's Doublet: for a Bear could never have had
that agility to have frighted em. Well, I'll see my
Father hanged, before I'll serve his Horse any more:
Well, I'll carry home my Bottle of Hay, and for
once make my Father's Horse turn puritan and
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Venus and Adonis by William Shakespeare: Touch but my lips with those falr lips of thine,--
Though mine be not so fair, yet are they red,-- 116
The kiss shall be thine own as well as mine:
What seest thou in the ground? hold up thy head:
Look in mine eyeballs, there thy beauty lies;
Then why not lips on lips, since eyes in eyes? 120
'Art thou asham'd to kiss? then wink again,
And I will wink; so shall the day seem night;
Love keeps his revels where there are but twain;
Be bold to play, our sport is not in sight: 124
These blue-vein'd violets whereon we lean
|
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 Marriage Contract by Honore de Balzac: deducting from the proceeds of the house and furniture the hundred and
fifty thousand francs we owe you, I think I can guarantee to madame
that two hundred and fifty thousand will remain to her. I take upon
myself to invest that sum in a first mortgage on property worth a
million, and to obtain ten per cent for it,--twenty-five thousand
francs a year. Consequently, we are marrying on nearly equal fortunes.
In fact, against your forty-six thousand francs a year, Mademoiselle
Natalie brings you forty thousand a year in the Five-per-cents, and
one hundred and fifty thousand in a round sum, which gives, in all,
forty-seven thousand francs a year."
"That is evident," said Paul.
|
