| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Emma by Jane Austen: to please, every feature works."
"Mr. Elton's manners are not perfect," replied Emma; "but where there
is a wish to please, one ought to overlook, and one does overlook
a great deal. Where a man does his best with only moderate powers,
he will have the advantage over negligent superiority. There is
such perfect good-temper and good-will in Mr. Elton as one cannot
but value."
"Yes," said Mr. John Knightley presently, with some slyness,
"he seems to have a great deal of good-will towards you."
"Me!" she replied with a smile of astonishment, "are you imagining
me to be Mr. Elton's object?"
Emma |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tom Sawyer Abroad by Mark Twain: I 'most died when he said that. Then he was still
again -- still so long I couldn't bear it, and it did seem
to me the lightning wouldn't EVER come again. But at
last there was a blessed flash, and there he was, on his
hands and knees crawling, and not four feet from us.
My, but his eyes was terrible! He made a lunge for
Tom, and says, "Overboard YOU go!" but it was
already pitch-dark again, and I couldn't see whether
he got him or not, and Tom didn't make a sound.
There was another long, horrible wait; then there
was a flash, and I see Tom's head sink down outside
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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 Nada the Lily by H. Rider Haggard: ambitious, and desired to be first among the people. Indeed, having
the blood of Chaka in his veins, how could it be otherwise?
"What is your plan, my father?" he asked. "Say how can this be brought
about?"
"This and thus, Umslopogaas. Among the tribe of the Halakazi in
Swaziland there dwells a maid who is named the Lily. She is a girl of
the most wonderful beauty, and Dingaan is afire with longing to have
her to wife. Now, awhile since Dingaan dispatched an embassy to the
chief of the Halakazi asking the Lily in marriage, and the chief of
the Halakazi sent back insolent words, saying that the Beauty of the
Earth should be given to no Zulu dog as a wife. Then Dingaan was
Nada the Lily |
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 Twilight Land by Howard Pyle: his head, and upon his body a long robe stiff with diamonds and
pearls. "We come," said he, "from the Tailor of Tailors, and
Master of Masters, and One Greater than a King, to ask you to let
him have your daughter for his wife."
"Tell him to come!" cried the king, in admiration, "for the
princess is his."
The next morning when the Demon came he found the Tailor dancing
and shouting for joy. "The princess is mine!" he cried, "so make
me ready for her."
"It shall be done," said the Demon, and thereupon he began to
make the Tailor ready for his wedding. He brought him to a marble
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