| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates by Howard Pyle: cried, "that the villain this very day walks about New York town
as though he were an honest man, ruffling it with the best of us!
But if we can only get hold of these log books you speak of. Go
on; tell me more of this."
When Tom Chist's narrative was ended, Mr. Chillingsworth's
bearing was as different as daylight is from dark. He asked a
thousand questions, all in the most polite and gracious tone
imaginable, and not only urged a glass of his fine old Madeira
upon Tom, but asked him to stay to supper. There was nobody to be
there, he said, but his wife and daughter.
Tom, all in a panic at the very thought of the two ladies,
Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle: the last arrow sped and struck the target, all the people shouted aloud,
for it was noble shooting.
And now but ten men were left of all those that had shot before,
and of these ten, six were famous throughout the land, and most
of the folk gathered there knew them. These six men were Gilbert o'
the Red Cap, Adam o' the Dell, Diccon Cruikshank, William o'
Leslie, Hubert o' Cloud, and Swithin o' Hertford. Two others were
yeomen of merry Yorkshire, another was a tall stranger in blue,
who said he came from London Town, and the last was a tattered
stranger in scarlet, who wore a patch over one eye.
"Now," quoth the Sheriff to a man-at-arms who stood near him,
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Kenilworth by Walter Scott: "The lad hath quicksilver in his veins, that is certain," said
Blount, looking at Markham.
"He hath that both in brain and blood," said Markham, "which may
either make or mar him. But in closing the door against Masters,
he hath done a daring and loving piece of service; for
Tressilian's fellow hath ever averred that to wake the Earl were
death, and Masters would wake the Seven Sleepers themselves, if
he thought they slept not by the regular ordinance of medicine."
Morning was well advanced when Tressilian, fatigued and over-
watched, came down to the hall with the joyful intelligence that
the Earl had awakened of himself, that he found his internal
Kenilworth |
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 Commission in Lunacy by Honore de Balzac: are not now furnished with the things left to you by M. d'Espard in
1816. If, as you did me the honor of informing me, furniture is costly
for the Jeanrenauds, it must be yet more so for you, who are a great
lady. Though I am a judge, I am but a man; I may be wrong--tell me so.
Remember the duties imposed on me by the law, and the rigorous
inquiries it demands, when the case before it is the suspension from
all his functions of the father of a family in the prime of life. So
you will pardon me, Madame la Marquise, for laying all these
difficulties before you; it will be easy for you to give me an
explanation.
"When a man is pronounced incapable of the control of his own affairs,
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