| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Collection of Antiquities by Honore de Balzac: Chevalier was with him, and the two wrecks of the eighteenth century
were talking of Victurnien. The Chevalier had undertaken to broach the
subject with the Marquis.
"Yes, Marquis," he was saying, "your son is wasting his time and his
youth; you ought to send him to court."
"I have always thought," said the Marquis, "that if my great age
prevents me from going to court--where, between ourselves, I do not
know what I should do among all these new people whom his Majesty
receives, and all that is going on there--that if I could not go
myself, I could at least send my son to present our homage to His
Majesty. The King surely would do something for the Count--give him a
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia by Samuel Johnson: therefore you will rarely meet one who does not think the lot of
his neighbour better than his own."
"I am pleased to think," said the Prince, "that my birth has given
me at least one advantage over others by enabling me to determine
for myself. I have here the world before me. I will review it at
leisure: surely happiness is somewhere to be found."
CHAPTER XVII - THE PRINCE ASSOCIATES WITH YOUNG MEN OF SPIRIT AND
GAIETY.
RASSELAS rose next day, and resolved to begin his experiments upon
life. "Youth," cried he, "is the time of gladness: I will join
myself to the young men whose only business is to gratify their
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