| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Herodias by Gustave Flaubert: domination over all the peoples of the earth. Certain persons believed
that there were to be two Messiahs; one would be vanquished by Gog and
Magog, the demons of the North; but the other would exterminate the
Prince of Evil; and for centuries the coming of this Saviour of
mankind had been expected at any moment.
At this, the priests began to talk in low tones among themselves.
Eleazar addressed Jacob, saying that it had always been understood
that the Messiah would be a son of David, not of a carpenter; and that
he would confirm the law, whereas this Nazarene attacked it.
Furthermore, as a still stronger argument against the pretender, it
had been promised that the Messiah should be preceded by Elias.
 Herodias |
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 Paz by Honore de Balzac: "Yes, I shall go, my dear fellow. Captain I came, and captain I
return. We shall dine together to-morrow for the last time. If I don't
start at once for St. Petersburg I shall have to make the journey by
land, and I am not rich, and I must leave Malaga a little
independence. I ought to think of the only woman who has been able to
understand me; she thinks me grand, superior. I dare say she is
faithless, but she would jump--"
"Through the hoop, for your sake and come down safely on the back of
her horse," said Clementine sharply.
"Oh, you don't know Malaga," said the captain, bitterly, with a
sarcastic look in his eyes which made Clementine thoughtful and
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