| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Astoria by Washington Irving: to tree, until its various stalks interlace the grove like the
rigging of a ship. The stems or trunks of this vine are tougher
and more flexible than willow, and are from fifty to one hundred
fathoms in length. From the fibres, the Indians manufacture
baskets of such close texture as to hold water.
The principal quadrupeds that had been seen by the colonists in
their various expeditions were the stag, fallow deer, hart, black
and grizzly bear, antelope, ahsahta or bighorn, beaver, sea and
river otter, muskrat, fox, wolf, and panther, the latter
extremely rare. The only domestic animals among the natives were
horses and dogs.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from An Old Maid by Honore de Balzac: from marrying a Mademoiselle Suzanne What's-her-name. What IS her
name, do you know? Suzette! Though I have lodgings at Madame Lardot's,
I know her girls only by sight. If this Suzette is a tall, fine, saucy
girl, with gray eyes, a slim waist, and a pretty foot, whom I have
occasionally seen, and whose behavior always seemed to me extremely
insolent, she is far superior in manners to du Bousquier. Besides, the
girl has the nobility of beauty; from that point of view the marriage
would be a poor one for her; she might do better. You know how the
Emperor Joseph had the curiosity to see the du Barry at Luciennes. He
offered her his arm to walk about, and the poor thing was so surprised
at the honor that she hesitated to accept it: 'Beauty is ever a
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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 1492 by Mary Johntson: birds for portents. Fray Ignatio lifted hands. ``The
Blessed Francis who knew that birds have souls to save
hath sent them!'' We passed the drifting branch of a
tree. It had green leaves. The sea ran extremely blue and
clear, and half the ship thought they smelled frankincense,
brought on the winds which now were changeable. At evening
rose a great cry of ``Land!'' and indeed to one side the
sinking sun seemed veritable cliffs with a single mountain
peak. The Admiral, who knew more of sea and air than
any two men upon those ships, cried ``Cloud--cloud!''
but for a time none believed him. There sprang great commotion,
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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 The Travels of Sir John Mandeville by Sir John Mandeville: ELATIONES MARIS.
CHAPTER XXII
HOW MEN KNOW BY THE IDOL, IF THE SICK SHALL DIE OR NOT. OF FOLK OF
DIVERSE SHAPE AND MARVELLOUSLY DISFIGURED. AND OF THE MONKS THAT
GAVE THEIR RELIEF TO BABOONS, APES, AND MARMOSETS, AND TO OTHER
BEASTS
FROM that isle, in going by sea toward the south, is another great
isle that is clept Dondun. In that isle be folk of diverse kinds,
so that the father eateth the son, the son the father, the husband
the wife, and the wife the husband. And if it so befall, that the
father or mother or any of their friends be sick, anon the son
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