| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Unconscious Comedians by Honore de Balzac: talent, little and great, artists in seed or flower, who are raising
to the glory of France that every-day monument called the Opera, an
assemblage of forces, wills, and forms of genius, nowhere collected as
in Paris.
"I have already seen the Opera," said Gazonal, with a self-sufficient
air.
"Yes, from a three-francs-sixty-sous seat among the gods," replied the
landscape painter; "just as you have seen Paris in the rue Croix-des-
Petits-Champs, without knowing anything about it. What did they give
at the Opera when you were there?"
"Guillaume Tell."
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from At the Sign of the Cat & Racket by Honore de Balzac: Baron, I can tell you, and has just been made Chevalier of the Legion
of Honor, by the Emperor himself, at the Salon. Roguin is now his
lawyer, and knows all his affairs. Well! Monsieur de Sommervieux has
twelve thousand francs a year in good landed estate. Do you know that
the father-in-law of such a man may get a rise in life--be mayor of
his /arrondissement/, for instance. Have we not seen Monsieur Dupont
become a Count of the Empire, and a senator, all because he went as
mayor to congratulate the Emperor on his entry into Vienna? Oh, this
marriage must take place! For my part, I adore the dear young man. His
behavior to Augustine is only met with in romances. Be easy, little
one, you shall be happy, and every girl will wish she were in your
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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 Damnation of Theron Ware by Harold Frederic: seated together in the open window above this panel,
the two people he knew were there, gloved and habited
for the night's journey, waiting for the train to start.
"Very much to my surprise," he found himself saying to Alice,
watching her nervously as she laid the supper-table, "I
find I must go to Albany tonight. That is, it isn't
absolutely necessary, for that matter, but I think it
may easily turn out to be greatly to my advantage to go.
Something has arisen--I can't speak about it as yet--
but the sooner I see the Bishop about it the better.
Things like that occur in a man's life, where boldly
The Damnation of Theron Ware |
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 Master of the World by Jules Verne: that John Turner who had been mate of the "Albatross," began another
labor. With the help of his companion, he dragged to the center of
the hollow all that remained of their materials, empty cases,
fragments of carpentry, peculiar pieces of wood which clearly must
have belonged to the "Albatross," which had been sacrificed to this
new and mightier engine of locomotion. Beneath this mass there lay a
great quantity of dried grasses. The thought came to me that Robur
was preparing to leave this retreat forever!
In fact, he could not be ignorant that the attention of the public
was now keenly fixed upon the Great Eyrie; and that some further
attempt was likely to be made to penetrate it. Must he not fear that
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