| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne: which I was showing the necessity of a FIRST cause, when the young
Count de Faineant took me by the hand to the farthest corner of the
room, to tell me my SOLITAIRE was pinn'd too straight about my
neck. - It should be PLUS BADINANT, said the Count, looking down
upon his own; - but a word, Monsieur Yorick, TO THE WISE -
And FROM THE WISE, Monsieur le Count, replied I, making him a bow,
- IS ENOUGH.
The Count de Faineant embraced me with more ardour than ever I was
embraced by mortal man.
For three weeks together I was of every man's opinion I met. -
PARDI! CE MONSIEUR YORICK A AUTANT D'ESPRIT QUE NOUS AUTRES. - IL
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Chance by Joseph Conrad: give another moment to the consideration of the advice--the
diplomatic advice I had made up my mind to bowl him over with. And
I continued in subdued tones.
"I have been led to make these remarks by what I have discovered
since you left us. I suspected from the first. And now I am
certain. What your wife cannot tolerate in this affair is Miss de
Barral being what she is."
He made a movement, but I kept my eyes away from him and went on
steadily. "That is--her being a woman. I have some idea of Mrs.
Fyne's mental attitude towards society with its injustices, with its
atrocious or ridiculous conventions. As against them there is no
Chance |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum: the majors. "For-ward--march!" commanded the captains.
And at that the private leveled his spear and dashed furiously upon
the foe.
The captain of the Nomes was so surprised by this sudden onslaught
that he forgot to command his warriors to fight, so that the ten men
in the first row, who stood in front of the private's spear, fell over
like so many toy soldiers. The spear could not go through their steel
armor, however, so the warriors scrambled to their feet again, and by
that time the private had knocked over another row of them.
Then the captain brought down his battle-axe with such a strong blow
that the private's spear was shattered and knocked from his grasp, and
Ozma of Oz |
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 New Arabian Nights by Robert Louis Stevenson: separated, as if by mutual consent, without shaking hands, for both
knew that, between us, it was no idle ceremony.
The next, and that was the fourth day of our acquaintance, we met
in the same spot, but early in the morning, with much familiarity
and yet much timidity on either side. When she had once more
spoken about my danger - and that, I understood, was her excuse for
coming - I, who had prepared a great deal of talk during the night,
began to tell her how highly I valued her kind interest, and how no
one had ever cared to hear about my life, nor had I ever cared to
relate it, before yesterday. Suddenly she interrupted me, saying
with vehemence -
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