| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Large Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther: magistrates, and officers, wisdom, strength, and success that they may
govern well and vanquish the Turks and all enemies; to subjects and the
common people, obedience, peace, and harmony in their life with one
another, and on the other hand, that He would preserve us from all
sorts of calamity to body and livelihood, as lightning, hail, fire,
flood, poison, pestilence, cattle-plague, war and bloodshed, famine,
destructive beasts, wicked men, etc. All this it is well to impress
upon the simple, namely, that these things come from God, and must be
prayed for by us.
But this petition is especially directed also against our chief enemy,
the devil. For all his thought and desire is to deprive us of all that
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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 Secrets of the Princesse de Cadignan by Honore de Balzac: between them. The conversation, which remained upon the topic of
Michel Chrestien until the dessert, was an excellent pretext for both
to speak in a low voice: love, sympathy, comprehension! she could pose
as a maligned and misunderstood woman; he could slip his feet into the
shoes of the dead republican. Perhaps his candid mind detected itself
in regretting his dead friend less. The princess, at the moment when
the dessert appeared upon the table, and the guests were separated by
a brilliant hedge of fruits and sweetmeats, thought best to put an end
to this flow of confidences by a charming little speech, in which she
delicately expressed the idea that Daniel and Michel were twin souls.
After this d'Arthez threw himself into the general conversation with
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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 Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: left me. I could not guess what his decision might be, and
for hours I sat fretting over the outcome of the matter.
If he accepted a message to Carthoris it would mean to me
that Carthoris still lived and was free. If the youth returned
wearing the harness and the sword, I would know that Carthoris
had received my note and that he knew that I still lived.
That the bearer of the note was a Zodangan would be sufficient
to explain to Carthoris that I was a prisoner of Zat Arras.
It was with feelings of excited expectancy which I could scarce
hide that I heard the youth's approach upon the occasion of
his next regular visit. I did not speak beyond my accustomed
The Gods of Mars |
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 Sarrasine by Honore de Balzac: of the progress made by the civilization of the present day. There are
none of those wretched creatures now."
"Paris," said she, "is an exceedingly hospitable place; it welcomes
one and all, fortunes stained with shame, and fortunes stained with
blood. Crime and infamy have a right of asylum here; virtue alone is
without altars. But pure hearts have a fatherland in heaven! No one
will have known me! I am proud of it."
And the marchioness was lost in thought.
ADDENDUM
The following personages appear in other stories of the Human Comedy.
Carigliano, Marechal, Duc de
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