| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas: give me an answer simply. You are an honorable man, with
whom my family has dealt for thirty years; you knew my
father and mother, whom your own father and mother served. I
address you as a friend; will you accept the gold of the
settings in return for a sum of ready money to be placed in
my hands?"
"Eight hundred thousand francs! it is enormous."
"I know it."
"Impossible to find."
"Not so."
"But reflect, madame, upon the effect which will be produced
Ten Years Later |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Puck of Pook's Hill by Rudyard Kipling: whenever I call for them, and - where got you that corn?"
said he, for it was near harvest, and our corn stood well.
"I have never seen such bright straw. Send me three bags
of the same seed yearly, and furthermore, in memory of
our last meeting - with the rope round thy neck -
entertain me and my men for two days of each year in the
Great Hall of thy Manor."
"'Alas!" said I, "then my Manor is already forfeit. I am
under vow not to enter the Great Hall." And I told him
what I had sworn to the Lady Aelueva.'
'And hadn't you ever been into the house since?' said Una.
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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 Alexandria and her Schools by Charles Kingsley: seen, and God's will in it obeyed manfully, became the foundation of
England's naval and colonial empire, and laid the foundation of all her
future glories. So it was then, so it is now; so it will be for ever:
he who seeks to save his life will lose it: he who willingly throws
away his life for the cause of mankind, which is the cause of God, the
Father of mankind, he shall save it, and be rewarded a hundred-fold.
That God may grant us, the children of the Elizabethan heroes, all
wisdom to see our duty, and courage to do it, even to the death, should
be our earliest prayer. Our statesmen have done wisely and well in
refusing, in spite of hot-headed clamours, to appeal to the sword as
long as there was any chance of a peaceful settlement even of a single
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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 A Simple Soul by Gustave Flaubert: CHAPTER V
The grass exhaled an odour of summer; flies buzzed in the air, the sun
shone on the river and warmed the slated roof. Old Mother Simon had
returned to Felicite and was peacefully falling asleep.
The ringing of bells woke her; the people were coming out of church.
Felicite's delirium subsided. By thinking of the procession, she was
able to see it as if she had taken part in it. All the school-
children, the singers and the firemen walked on the sidewalks, while
in the middle of the street came first the custodian of the church
with his halberd, then the beadle with a large cross, the teacher in
charge of the boys and a sister escorting the little girls; three of
A Simple Soul |
