| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: smeared over with pitch and tar, but filled them with costly
stones and precious pearls, and all manner of aromatic sweet
perfume. He bound them fast with cords of hair, and called for
the noblemen who had blamed him for his manner of accosting the
men by the wayside. Before them he set the four caskets, that
they might appraise the value of these and those. They decided
that the golden ones were of greatest value, for, peradventure,
they contained kingly diadems and girdles. But those, that were
be-smeared with pitch and tar, were cheap and of paltry worth,
said they. Then said the king to them, `I know that such is your
answer, for with the eyes of sense ye judge the objects of sense,
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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 Pool of Blood in the Pastor's Study by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: "But I tell you, sir, that Gyuri did not do it. The man who did
it - he has yellowish hands - I saw them - I saw big yellowish
hands. Gyuri's hands are big, but they are brown."
"Janci, you are right. I was only trying to test you. Gyuri did
not do it; that is, he did not do it with his own hands. The man
who held the knife that struck down the pastor was Varna, the crazy
mechanician."
Janci beat his forehead. "Oh, I am a foolish and useless dreamer!"
he exclaimed; "of course it was Varna's hands that I saw. I have
seen them a hundred times when he came down into the village, and
yet when I saw them in the vision I did not recognise them."
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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 Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac: or we shall find ourselves in the kennel, and people laughing at
us, and our career is cut short, good-bye to success, and good-
bye to your mistress! I am forgetting your valet and your groom!
Is Christophe going to carry your billets-doux for you? Do you
mean to employ the stationery you use at present? Suicidal
policy! Hearken to the wisdom of your elders!" he went on, his
bass voice growing louder at each syllable. "Either take up your
quarters in a garret, live virtuously, and wed your work, or set
about the thing in a different way."
Vautrin winked and leered in the direction of Mlle. Taillefer to
enforce his remarks by a look which recalled the late tempting
Father Goriot |
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 Spirit of the Border by Zane Grey: it his duty to murder these Christians. Girty has led up to this by cunning,
and now the time is come to let them loose."
"It means death for all."
"I have given up any thought of escaping," said Zeisberger, with the calmness
that had characterized his manner since he returned to the village. "I shall
try to get into the church."
"I'll join you there as soon as I see Williamson."
Jim walked rapidly across the clearing to the cabin where Captain Williamson
had quarters. The frontiersmen stood in groups, watching the savages with an
interest which showed little or no concern.
"I want to see Captain Williamson," said Jim to a frontiersman on guard at the
The Spirit of the Border |
