| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from 1492 by Mary Johntson: ``But if it is Cipango?''
``Ay. It may be Cipango. We have no angel here to tell
us which. I would one would fly down and take us by the
hand! Being men, we must make guesses.''
Beautiful to us, splendid to us, was this coast of Cuba!
We sailed by headlands and deep, narrow-necked bays, river
mouths and hanging forests and bold cliffs. We sailed west
and still headland followed headland, and still the lookout
cried, ``It stretched forever like the main!''
We came to a river where ships might ride. Sounding,
we found deep water, entered river mouth and dropped
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas: for you: you were captain of M. Mazarin's guards; and twelve
thousand francs a year would in twelve years amount to one
hundred and forty thousand francs."
"Twelve thousand francs! Are you mad?" cried Baisemeaux;
"the old miser gave me no more than six thousand, and the
expenses of the post amounted to six thousand five hundred
francs. M. Colbert, who deducted the other six thousand
francs, condescended to allow me to take fifty pistoles as a
gratification; so that, if it were not for my little estate
at Montlezun, which brings me in twelve thousand francs a
year, I could not have met my engagements."
Ten Years Later |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac: When a man once enters on a course of deception, he is compelled
to add lie to lie. M. d'Ajuda therefore said, smiling, "Do you
lay your commands on me?"
"Yes, certainly."
"That was what I wanted to have you say to me," he answered,
dissembling his feelings in a glance which would have reassured
any other woman.
He took the Vicomtesse's hand, kissed it, and went.
Eugene ran his fingers through his hair, and constrained himself
to bow. He thought that now Mme. de Beauseant would give him her
attention; but suddenly she sprang forward, rushed to a window in
Father Goriot |
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 Beauty and The Beast by Bayard Taylor: Meet as one, in sweet renewal!'
"`Miss Ringtop!' I cried, starting away from her, in alarm, `you
don't mean that--that--'
"I could not finish the sentence.
"`Yes, Enos, DEAR Enos! henceforth we belong to each other.'
"The painful embarrassment I felt, as her true meaning shot through
my mind, surpassed anything I had imagined, or experienced in
anticipation, when planning how I should declare myself to Eunice.
Miss Ringtop was at least ten years older than I, far from handsome
(but you remember her face,) and so affectedly sentimental, that I,
sentimental as I was then, was sick of hearing her talk. Her
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