| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from An Old Maid by Honore de Balzac: persist in that faith, for his opinions were woven in with his
artistic sorrows, with his bitter contemplation of the social state.
He was ignorant of the fact that at thirty-six years of age,--the
period of life when a man has judged men and social interests and
relations,--the opinions for which he was ready to sacrifice his
future would be modified in him, as they are in all men of real
superiority. To remain faithful to the Left side of Alencon was to
gain the aversion of Mademoiselle Cormon. There, indeed, the chevalier
saw true.
Thus we see that this society, so peaceful in appearance, was
internally as agitated as any diplomatic circle, where craft, ability,
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Professor by Charlotte Bronte: orthography. I coolly read aloud both exercises, marking the
faults--then I looked at Eulalie:
"C'est honteux!" said I, and I deliberately tore her dictation
in four parts, and presented her with the fragments. I returned
Sylvie her book with a smile, saying--
"C'est bien--je suis content de vous."
Sylvie looked calmly pleased, Eulalie swelled like an incensed
turkey, but the mutiny was quelled: the conceited coquetry and
futile flirtation of the first bench were exchanged for a
taciturn sullenness, much more convenient to me, and the rest of
my lesson passed without interruption.
The Professor |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Ball at Sceaux by Honore de Balzac: so honorable, that he was not once the object of those epigrams which
the malicious journalism of the day hurled at the three hundred votes
of the centre, at the Ministers, the cooks, the Directors-General, the
princely Amphitryons, and the official supporters of the Villele
Ministry.
At the close of this campaign, during which Monsieur de Fontaine had
on several occasions brought out all his forces, he believed that this
time the procession of suitors would not be a mere dissolving view in
his daughter's eyes; that it was time she should make up her mind. He
felt a certain inward satisfaction at having well fulfilled his duty
as a father. And having left no stone unturned, he hoped that, among
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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 King James Bible: the land of Judah.
JER 37:2 But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land,
did hearken unto the words of the LORD, which he spake by the prophet
Jeremiah.
JER 37:3 And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and
Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah,
saying, Pray now unto the LORD our God for us.
JER 37:4 Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people: for they
had not put him into prison.
JER 37:5 Then Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the
Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed
King James Bible |
