| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift: I should receive no hurt:" and observing my two companions to be
under no concern, who had been often entertained in the same
manner, I began to take courage, and related to his highness a
short history of my several adventures; yet not without some
hesitation, and frequently looking behind me to the place where I
had seen those domestic spectres. I had the honour to dine with
the governor, where a new set of ghosts served up the meat, and
waited at table. I now observed myself to be less terrified than
I had been in the morning. I stayed till sunset, but humbly
desired his highness to excuse me for not accepting his
invitation of lodging in the palace. My two friends and I lay at
Gulliver's Travels |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Story of an African Farm by Olive Schreiner: Oh, Lord, I shall die! You, Bonaparte, are the funniest man I ever saw."
Bonaparte Blenkins was now carefully inspecting the volume he had picked
up. Among the subjects on which the darkness of his understanding had been
enlightened during his youth, Political Economy had not been one. He was
not, therefore, very clear as to what the nature of the book might be; and
as the name of the writer, J.S. Mill, might, for anything he knew to the
contrary, have belonged to a venerable member of the British and Foreign
Bible Society, it by no means threw light upon the question. He was not in
any way sure that Political Economy had nothing to do with the cheapest way
of procuring clothing for the army and navy, which would be certainly both
a political and economical subject.
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