| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: austerity, perchance through bodily weakness, would disparage and
blame himself, attributing his failure to slothfulness of mind
rather than to natural frailty. So each excelled each, and all
excelled all in this sweet reasonableness. But the spirit of
vain glory and pleasing of men -- what place had it among them?
For they had fled from the world, and were dwelling in the
desert, to the end that they might show their virtues not to men,
but to God, from whom also they hope to receive the rewards of
their good deeds, well aware that religious exercises performed
for vain glory go without recompense; for these are done for the
praise of men and not for God. Whence all that do thus are
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas: appeared to be entire strangers to one another and
indifferent to the precautions taken for guarding the king.
They withdrew to a private house, and as they had reason
every moment to fear for their safety, they occupied but one
room and provided an exit, which might be useful in case of
an attack. The lackeys were sent to their several posts,
except that Grimaud lay on a truss of straw across the
doorway.
D'Artagnan was thoughtful and seemed for the moment to have
lost his usual loquacity. Porthos, who could never see
anything that was not self-evident, talked to him as usual.
Twenty Years After |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Moran of the Lady Letty by Frank Norris: the Captain's private papers. A marriage certificate setting
forth the union between Eilert Sternersen, of Fruholmen, Norway,
and Sarah Moran, of some seaport town (the name was
indecipherable) of the North of England. Next came a birth
certificate of a daughter named Moran, dated twenty-two years
back, and a bill of sale of the bark "Lady Letty," whereby a two-
thirds interest was conveyed from the previous owners (a
shipbuilding firm of Christiania) to Capt. Eilert Sternersen.
"The old man was his own boss," commented Kitchell. "Hello!" he
remarked, "look here"; a yellowed photograph was in his hand the
picture of a stout, fair-haired woman of about forty, wearing
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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 Unconscious Comedians by Honore de Balzac: value of the pains I bestow upon them. Now, take the aristocracy--
there is but one man there who has truly comprehended the Hat; and
that is the Prince de Bethune. How is it that men do not consider, as
women do, that the hat is the first thing that strikes the eye? And
why have they never thought of changing the present system, which is,
let us say it frankly, ignoble? Yes, ignoble; and yet a Frenchman is,
of all nationalities, the one most persistent in this folly! I know
the difficulties of a change, messieurs. I don't speak of my own
writings on the matter, which, as I think, approach it
philosophically, but simply as a hatter. I have myself studied means
to accentuate the infamous head-covering to which France is now
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