| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Salome by Oscar Wilde: morts. Dites aux soldats qu'ils descendent et m'apportent ce que je
demande, ce que le tetrarque m'a promis, ce qui m'appartient. [Le
page recule. Elle s'adresse aux soldais.] Venez ici, soldats.
Descendez dans cette citerne, et apportez-moi la tete de cet homme.
[Les soldats reculent.] Tetrarque, tetrarque, commandez e vos
soldats de m'apporter la tete d'Iokanaan. [Un grand bras noir, le
bras du bourreau, sort de la citerne apportant sur un bouclier
d'argent la tete d'Iokanaan. Salome la saisit. Herode se cache le
visage, avec son manteau. Herodias sourit et s'evente. Les
Nazareens s'agenouillent et commencent e prier.] Ah! tu n'as pas
voulu me laisser baiser ta bouche, Iokanaan. Eh bien! je la
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Moby Dick by Herman Melville: and selecting one entitled "The Latter Day Coming; or No Time to
Lose," placed it in Queequeg's hands, and then grasping them and the
book with both his, looked earnestly into his eyes, and said, "Son of
darkness, I must do my duty by thee; I am part owner of this ship,
and feel concerned for the souls of all its crew; if thou still
clingest to thy Pagan ways, which I sadly fear, I beseech thee,
remain not for aye a Belial bondsman. Spurn the idol Bell, and the
hideous dragon; turn from the wrath to come; mind thine eye, I say;
oh! goodness gracious! steer clear of the fiery pit!"
Something of the salt sea yet lingered in old Bildad's language,
heterogeneously mixed with Scriptural and domestic phrases.
Moby Dick |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Psychology of Revolution by Gustave le Bon: 3. The Philosophical Ideas of the Bourgeoisie at the Time of
the Revolution.
It is by no means easy to say just what were the social and
political conceptions of a Frenchman of the middle classes at the
moment of the Revolution. They might be reduced to a few
formulae concerning fraternity, equality, and popular
government, summed up in the celebrated Declaration of the Rights
of Man, of which we shall have occasion to quote a few passages.
The philosophers of the eighteenth century do not seem to have
been very highly rated by the men of the Revolution. Rarely are
they quoted in the speeches of the time. Hypnotised by their
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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 Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton: house!"
"Oh, come," said Wyant lightly, "they seem to understand each
other well enough. But in any case, you must see that I can't
interfere--at least you would if you were an Englishman," he
added with an escape of contempt.
III
Wyant's affiliations in Siena being restricted to an acquaintance
with his land-lady, he was forced to apply to her for the
verification of Count Ottaviano's story.
The young nobleman had, it appeared, given a perfectly correct
account of his situation. His father, Count Celsi-Mongirone, was
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