| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Ancient Regime by Charles Kingsley: honourable; and he who held a "weorthig," or worthy, thereof, was
bound himself to be worthy. In like wise, he who had the right to
ride a horse, was expected to be chivalrous in all matters befitting
the hereditary ruler, who owed a sacred debt to a long line of
forefathers, as well as to the state in which he dwelt; all dignity,
courtesy, purity, self-restraint, devotion--such as they were
understood in those rough days--centred themselves round the idea of
the rider as the attributes of the man whose supposed duty, as well
as his supposed right, was to govern his fellow-men, by example, as
well as by law and force;--attributes which gathered themselves up
into that one word--Chivalry: an idea, which, perfect or imperfect,
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Phaedrus by Plato: the other speech, which, as I think, is also suggestive to students of
rhetoric.
PHAEDRUS: In what way?
SOCRATES: The two speeches, as you may remember, were unlike; the one
argued that the lover and the other that the non-lover ought to be
accepted.
PHAEDRUS: And right manfully.
SOCRATES: You should rather say 'madly;' and madness was the argument of
them, for, as I said, 'love is a madness.'
PHAEDRUS: Yes.
SOCRATES: And of madness there were two kinds; one produced by human
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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 Baby Mine by Margaret Mayo: me information."
"What on earth are you doing?" demanded Zoie, more and more
disturbed by his mysterious manner.
"One can't be too careful," retorted Alfred in his most paternal
fashion; "there's an awful lot of kidnapping going on these
days."
"Well, you don't suspect information, do you?" asked Zoie.
Again Alfred ignored her; he was intent upon things of more
importance.
"Hello," he called into the 'phone, "is this information?"
Apparently it was for he continued, with a satisfied air, "Well,
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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 La Grenadiere by Honore de Balzac: buildings, and the Plessis rising out of the fertile plain; further
away, between Vouvray and Saint-Symphorien, you see a sort of crescent
of gray cliff full of sunny vineyards; the only limits to your view
are the low, rich hills along the Cher, a bluish line of horizon
broken by many a chateau and the wooded masses of many a park. Out to
the west you lose yourself in the immense river, where vessels come
and go, spreading their white sails to the winds which seldom fail
them in the wide Loire basin. A prince might build a summer palace at
La Grenadiere, but certainly it will always be the home of a poet's
desire, and the sweetest of retreats for two young lovers--for this
vintage house, which belongs to a substantial burgess of Tours, has
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