| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Kenilworth by Walter Scott: never suspected but that the horse had been placed there to meet
them by the precaution of the guide or some of his friends.
The lad, however, who was thus hastily dispossessed of his
charge, began to stare hard, and scratch his head, as if seized
with some qualms of conscience for delivering up the animal on
such brief explanation. "I be right zure thou be'st the party,"
said he, muttering to himself, "but thou shouldst ha zaid BEANS,
thou knawest."
"Ay, ay," said Wayland, speaking at a venture; "and thou BACON,
thou knowest."
"Noa, noa," said the lad; "bide ye--bide ye--it was PEAS a should
Kenilworth |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Plutarch's Lives by A. H. Clough: over divers cities which had revolted from him, and made an
incursion into Attica, where he took Eleusis and Rhamnus and
wasted the country thereabout. And that he might straighten the
Athenians by cutting off all manner of provision, a vessel laden
with corn bound thither falling into his hands, he ordered the
master and the supercargo to be immediately hanged, thereby to
strike a terror into others, that so they might not venture to
supply the city with provisions. By which means they were
reduced to such extremities, that a bushel of salt sold for
forty drachmas, and a peck of wheat for three hundred. Ptolemy
had sent to their relief a hundred and fifty galleys, which came
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Whirligigs by O. Henry: The soul of the man showed itself for a moment like an
evil face in the window of a reputable house.
"He will settle at one eighty-five," said Dodson.
"Bolivar cannot carry double."
A BLACKJACK BARGAINER
The most disreputable thing in Yancey Goree's law
office was Goree himself, sprawled in his creakv old arm-
chair. The rickety little office, built of red brick, was
set flush with the street -- the main street of the town of
Bethel.
Bethel rested upon the foot-hills of the Blue Ridge.
|
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 The Sportsman by Xenophon: [10] Pollux, v. 12.
[11] "The dogs that are trailing," Blane.
[12] See Stonehenge, "Entering of greyhound and deerhound, of
foxhounds and harriers," pp. 284, 285.
As soon as a hare is found, provided the young hounds have the right
points[13] for running, they should not be let loose straight off: the
huntsman should wait until the hare has got a good start and is out of
sight, then let the young hounds go.[14] The result of letting slip
young hounds, possessed of all the requisite points and full of
pluck,[15] is that the sight of the hare will make them strain too
violently and pull them to bits,[16] while their frames are as yet
|
