| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Familiar Studies of Men and Books by Robert Louis Stevenson: what had affected him, but all that he saw or heard. His
ardour had grown less, or perhaps it was inconsistent with a
right materialistic treatment to display such emotions as he
felt; and, to complete the eventful change, he chose, from a
sense of moral dignity, to gut these later works of the
saving quality of humour. He was not one of those authors
who have learned, in his own words, "to leave out their
dulness." He inflicts his full quantity upon the reader in
such books as CAPE COD, or THE YANKEE IN CANADA. Of the
latter he confessed that he had not managed to get much of
himself into it. Heaven knows he had not, nor yet much of
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Prince Otto by Robert Louis Stevenson: morning, however, he had not been long about his manuscript when a
door opened and the Prince stepped into the apartment. The doctor
watched him as he drew near, receiving, from each of the embayed
windows in succession, a flush of morning sun; and Otto looked so
gay, and walked so airily, he was so well dressed and brushed and
frizzled, so point-device, and of such a sovereign elegance, that
the heart of his cousin the recluse was rather moved against him.
'Good-morning, Gotthold,' said Otto, dropping in a chair.
'Good-morning, Otto,' returned the librarian. 'You are an early
bird. Is this an accident, or do you begin reforming?'
'It is about time, I fancy,' answered the Prince.
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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 Night and Day by Virginia Woolf: for a second to have its counterpart within her; she shut her eyes;
she opened them and looked at the lamp again; another love burnt in
the place of the old one, or so, in a momentary glance of amazement,
she guessed before the revelation was over and the old surroundings
asserted themselves. She leant in silence against the mantelpiece.
"There are different ways of loving," she murmured, half to herself,
at length.
Katharine made no reply and seemed unaware of her words. She seemed
absorbed in her own thoughts.
"Perhaps he's waiting in the street again to-night," she exclaimed.
"I'll go now. I might find him."
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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 Hamlet by William Shakespeare: Hor. My Lord, I did;
But answere made it none: yet once me thought
It lifted vp it head, and did addresse
It selfe to motion, like as it would speake:
But euen then, the Morning Cocke crew lowd;
And at the sound it shrunke in hast away,
And vanisht from our sight
Ham. Tis very strange
Hor. As I doe liue my honourd Lord 'tis true;
And we did thinke it writ downe in our duty
To let you know of it
Hamlet |
