| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Herbert West: Reanimator by H. P. Lovecraft: to him the truth of his amazing doctrines. Taking advantage of
the disorganisation of both college work and municipal health
regulations, he managed to get a recently deceased body smuggled
into the university dissecting-room one night, and in my presence
injected a new modification of his solution. The thing actually
opened its eyes, but only stared at the ceiling with a look of
soul-petrifying horror before collapsing into an inertness from
which nothing could rouse it. West said it was not fresh enough
-- the hot summer air does not favour corpses. That time we were
almost caught before we incinerated the thing, and West doubted
the advisability of repeating his daring misuse of the college
Herbert West: Reanimator |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Shakespeare's Sonnets by William Shakespeare: Or if it were, it bore not beauty's name;
But now is black beauty's successive heir,
And beauty slander'd with a bastard shame:
For since each hand hath put on Nature's power,
Fairing the foul with Art's false borrowed face,
Sweet beauty hath no name, no holy bower,
But is profan'd, if not lives in disgrace.
Therefore my mistress' eyes are raven black,
Her eyes so suited, and they mourners seem
At such who, not born fair, no beauty lack,
Sland'ring creation with a false esteem:
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Albert Savarus by Honore de Balzac: bribery, it would be hard if the electors did not esteem him. Electors
wax enthusiastic over a /beau ideal/ of parliamentary virtue, just as
the audience in the pit do at the representation of the generous
sentiments they so little practise.
Madame de Chavoncourt, at this time a woman of forty, was one of the
beauties of Besancon. While the Chamber was sitting, she lived
meagrely in one of their country places to recoup herself by economy
for Monsieur de Chavoncourt's expenses in Paris. In the winter she
received very creditably once a week, on Tuesdays, understanding her
business as mistress of the house. Young Chavoncourt, a youth of two-
and-twenty, and another young gentleman, named Monsieur de Vauchelles,
Albert Savarus |
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 Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson: Home was home then, my dear, happy for the child,
stricken to find in it an appropriateness, which I had not
yesterday observed, to the Master's detestable purpose in the
present journey.
We were then close upon the city of Glascow, where we were soon
breakfasting together at an inn, and where (as the devil would have
it) we found a ship in the very article of sailing. We took our
places in the cabin; and, two days after, carried our effects on
board. Her name was the NONESUCH, a very ancient ship and very
happily named. By all accounts this should be her last voyage;
people shook their heads upon the quays, and I had several warnings
|
