| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Caesar's Commentaries in Latin by Julius Caesar: Aquitaniam proficisci iubet, ne ex his nationibus auxilia in Galliam
mittantur ac tantae nationes coniungantur. Q. Titurium Sabinum legatum
cum legionibus tribus in Venellos, Coriosolites Lexoviosque mittit, qui
eam manum distinendam curet. D. Brutum adulescentem classi Gallicisque
navibus, quas ex Pictonibus et Santonis reliquisque pacatis regionibus
convenirel iusserat, praeficit et, cum primum possit, in Venetos
proficisci iubet. Ipse eo pedestribus copiis contendit.
Erant eius modi fere situs oppidorum ut posita in extremis lingulis
promunturiisque neque pedibus aditum haberent, cum ex alto se acstus
incitavisset, quod [bis] accidit semper horarum XII spatio, neque navibus,
quod rursus minuente aestu naves in vadis adflictarentur. Ita utraque re
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Prince Otto by Robert Louis Stevenson: way?'
'Choose the path, Otto. I will follow you,' she said.
'No,' he replied, with a singular imbecility of manner and
appearance, 'but I meant the path was rough. It lies, all the way,
by glade and dingle, and the dingles are both deep and thorny.'
'Lead on,' she said. 'Are you not Otto the Hunter?'
They had now burst across a veil of underwood, and were come into a
lawn among the forest, very green and innocent, and solemnly
surrounded by trees. Otto paused on the margin, looking about him
with delight; then his glance returned to Seraphina, as she stood
framed in that silvan pleasantness and looking at her husband with
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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 The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson by Robert Louis Stevenson: season; if not, you had better hang yourself on a sour apple tree,
for your voyage has been lost. - Yours affectionately,
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
Letter: TO AUSTIN DOBSON
BONALLIE TOWERS, BOURNEMOUTH [DECEMBER 1884?].
DEAR DOBSON, - Set down my delay to your own fault; I wished to
acknowledge such a gift from you in some of my inapt and slovenly
rhymes; but you should have sent me your pen and not your desk.
The verses stand up to the axles in a miry cross-road, whence the
coursers of the sun shall never draw them; hence I am constrained
to this uncourtliness, that I must appear before one of the kings
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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 Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum: on Jack Pumpkinhead. Not that I prefer pumpkins for food; but I believe they
are somewhat nutritious, and Jack's head is large and plump."
"How heartless!" exclaimed the Tin Woodman, greatly shocked. "Are we
cannibals, let me ask? Or are we faithful friends?"
"I see very clearly that we cannot stay shut up in this palace," said the
Scarecrow, with decision. "So let us end this mournful talk and try to
discover a means to escape."
At this suggestion they all gathered eagerly around the throne, wherein was
seated the Scarecrow, and as Tip sat down upon a stool there fell from his
pocket a pepper-box, which rolled upon the floor.
"What is this?" asked Nick Chopper, picking up the box.
The Marvelous Land of Oz |
