| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Travels of Sir John Mandeville by Sir John Mandeville: of God Immortal, and he shall shew the way to pass by. And the
Chan did so. And anon the sea that touched and was fast to the
mount began to withdraw him, and shewed fair way of nine foot
breadth large; and so he passed with his folk, and won the land of
Cathay that is the greatest kingdom of the world.
And for the nine kneelings and for the nine foot of way the Chan
and all the men of Tartary have the number of nine in great
reverence. And therefore who that will make the Chan any present,
be it of horses, be it of birds, or of arrows or bows, or of fruit,
or of any other thing, always he must make it of the number of
nine. And so then be the presents of greater pleasure to him; and
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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 From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne: bear us toward the southern hemisphere?"
"Well, I should say that it was still more beautiful," retorted
Michel Ardan.
At this moment the projectile hung perpendicularly over the circle.
The circumference of Copernicus formed almost a perfect circle,
and its steep escarpments were clearly defined. They could even
distinguish a second ringed enclosure. Around spread a grayish
plain, of a wild aspect, on which every relief was marked in yellow.
At the bottom of the circle, as if enclosed in a jewel case,
sparkled for one instant two or three eruptive cones, like enormous
dazzling gems. Toward the north the escarpments were lowered by a
 From the Earth to the Moon |