| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Eryxias by Platonic Imitator: delighted to hear the discourses which you have just been holding.
SOCRATES: My argument, Critias (I said), appears to have given you the
same kind of pleasure which you might have derived from some rhapsode's
recitation of Homer; for you do not believe a word of what has been said.
But come now, give me an answer to this question. Are not certain things
useful to the builder when he is building a house?
CRITIAS: They are.
SOCRATES: And would you say that those things are useful which are
employed in house building,--stones and bricks and beams and the like, and
also the instruments with which the builder built the house, the beams and
stones which they provided, and again the instruments by which these were
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte: much; and I am sure I could manage delightfully.'
'But, my darling, we could not spare you.' And a tear glistened in
his eye as he added - 'No, no! afflicted as we are, surely we are
not brought to that pass yet.'
'Oh, no!' said my mother. 'There is no necessity whatever for such
a step; it is merely a whim of her own. So you must hold your
tongue, you naughty girl; for, though you are so ready to leave us,
you know very well we cannot part with YOU.'
I was silenced for that day, and for many succeeding ones; but
still I did not wholly relinquish my darling scheme. Mary got her
drawing materials, and steadily set to work. I got mine too; but
Agnes Grey |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Unconscious Comedians by Honore de Balzac: each, which you will proceed to sign."
And Bixiou handed over two notes already drawn to his order by
Ravenouillet, which Ravenouillet immediately signed and inscribed on
the greasy book, in which his wife also kept account of the debts of
the other lodgers.
"Thanks, Ravenouillet," said Bixiou. "And here's a box at the
Vaudeville for you."
"Oh! my daughter will enjoy that," said Ravenouillet, departing.
"There are seventy-one tenants in this house," said Bixiou, "and the
average of what they owe Ravenouillet is six thousand francs a month,
eighteen thousand quarterly for money advanced, postage, etc., not
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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 Heroes by Charles Kingsley: And he past swiftly along the Isthmus, for his heart burned
to meet that cruel Sinis; and in a pine-wood at last he met
him, where the Isthmus was narrowest and the road ran between
high rocks. There he sat upon a stone by the wayside, with a
young fir-tree for a club across his knees, and a cord laid
ready by his side; and over his head, upon the fir-tops, hung
the bones of murdered men.
Then Theseus shouted to him, 'Holla, thou valiant pine-
bender, hast thou two fir-trees left for me?'
And Sinis leapt to his feet, and answered, pointing to the
bones above his head, 'My larder has grown empty lately, so I
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