| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: because he had fallen from the favour of Issus. I had no love
for Xodar, but I cannot stand the sight of cowardly injustice
and persecution without seeing red as through a haze of bloody mist,
and doing things on the impulse of the moment that I presume
I never should do after mature deliberation.
I was standing close beside Xodar as Thurid swung
his foot for the cowardly kick. The degraded Dator
stood erect and motionless as a carven image.
He was prepared to take whatever his former comrades
had to offer in the way of insults and reproaches,
and take them in manly silence and stoicism.
The Gods of Mars |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde: KELVIL. Still our East End is a very important problem.
LORD ILLINGWORTH. Quite so. It is the problem of slavery. And we
are trying to solve it by amusing the slaves.
LADY HUNSTANTON. Certainly, a great deal may be done by means of
cheap entertainments, as you say, Lord Illingworth. Dear Dr.
Daubeny, our rector here, provides, with the assistance of his
curates, really admirable recreations for the poor during the
winter. And much good may be done by means of a magic lantern, or
a missionary, or some popular amusement of that kind.
LADY CAROLINE. I am not at all in favour of amusements for the
poor, Jane. Blankets and coals are sufficient. There is too much
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