| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Monster Men by Edgar Rice Burroughs: Like lightning his bull whip flew into action, and to
the astonished warriors it was as though a score of men
were upon them in the person of this mighty white giant.
Following the example of their leader the five creatures
at his back leaped upon the nearest warriors,
and though they wielded their parangs awkwardly
the superhuman strength back of their cuts and thrusts
sent the already blood stained blades through many a brown body.
The Dyaks would gladly have retreated after the first
surprise of their initial attack, but Bulan urged his
men on after them, and so they were forced to fight
The Monster Men |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Commission in Lunacy by Honore de Balzac: never met our equal? And finally, must not education inculcate the
ideas with which Nature inspires those great men on whose brow she has
placed a crown before their mother has ever set a kiss there? These
ideas, this education, are no longer possible in France, where for
forty years past chance has arrogated the right of making noblemen by
dipping them in the blood of battles, by gilding them with glory, by
crowning them with the halo of genius; where the abolition of entail
and of eldest sonship, by frittering away estates, compels the
nobleman to attend to his own business instead of attending to affairs
of state, and where personal greatness can only be such greatness as
is acquired by long and patient toil: quite a new era.
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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 Madame Firmiani by Honore de Balzac: CONSCIENCE,--a love-word which expresses certain secret harmonies
within our hearts. I find honesty profitable; I shall get rich in time
by myself. I've an industrial scheme in my head, and if it succeeds I
shall earn millions."
"Ah! my boy, you have your mother's soul," said the old man, his eyes
filling at the thought of his sister.
Just then, in spite of the distance between Octave's garret and the
street, the young man heard the sound of a carriage.
"There she is!" he cried; "I know her horses by the way they are
pulled up."
A few moments more, and Madame Firmiani entered the room.
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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 War in the Air by H. G. Wells: brighten and the twilight to deepen about them. The road was a
flinty road in the chalk country, and ill-provided with sand.
Edna accosted a short, fat cyclist. "We want wet sand," she
said, and added, "our motor's on fire." The short, fat cyclist
stared blankly for a moment, then with a helpful cry began to
scrabble in the road-grit. Whereupon Bert and Edna also
scrabbled in the road-grit. Other cyclists arrived, dismounted
and stood about, and their flame-lit faces expressed
satisfaction, interest, curiositv. "Wet sand," said the short,
fat man, scrabbling terribly--"wet stnd." One joined him. They
threw hard-earned handfuls of road-grit upon the flames, which
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