| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Lamentable Tragedy of Locrine and Mucedorus by William Shakespeare: MUCEDORUS.
Oh, master mouse, I pray you what office might you
bear in the court?
MOUSE.
Marry, sir, I am a rusher of the stable.
MUCEDORUS.
O, usher of the table.
MOUSE.
Nay, I say rusher and I'll prove mine office good; for
look, sir, when any comes from under the sea or so,
and a dog chance to blow his nose backward, then with
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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 Dynamiter by Robert Louis Stevenson and Fanny Van De Grift Stevenson: thief, found, to the overthrow of all his logic, that he
objected to the use of dynamite. The dawn crept among the
sleeping villas and over the smokeless fields of city; and
still the unfortunate sceptic sobbed over his fall from
consistency.
At length, he rose and took the rising sun to witness.
'There is no question as to fact,' he cried; 'right and wrong
are but figments and the shadow of a word; but for all that,
there are certain things that I cannot do, and there are
certain others that I will not stand.' Thereupon he decided
to return to make one last effort of persuasion, and, if he
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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 Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli: afraid of infantry; this need not create a new order of arms, but a
variation upon the old. And these are the kind of improvements which
confer reputation and power upon a new prince.
This opportunity, therefore, ought not to be allowed to pass for
letting Italy at last see her liberator appear. Nor can one express
the love with which he would be received in all those provinces which
have suffered so much from these foreign scourings, with what thirst
for revenge, with what stubborn faith, with what devotion, with what
tears. What door would be closed to him? Who would refuse obedience to
him? What envy would hinder him? What Italian would refuse him homage?
To all of us this barbarous dominion stinks. Let, therefore, your
The Prince |
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 Figure in the Carpet by Henry James: Whenever since I've happened to have a glimpse of them they were
still blazing away - still missing it, I mean, deliciously. YOU
miss it, my dear fellow, with inimitable assurance; the fact of
your being awfully clever and your article's being awfully nice
doesn't make a hair's breadth of difference. It's quite with you
rising young men," Vereker laughed, "that I feel most what a
failure I am!"
I listened with keen interest; it grew keener as he talked. "YOU a
failure - heavens! What then may your 'little point' happen to
be?"
"Have I got to TELL you, after all these years and labours?" There
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