| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis: organizations of the city had voted to invite him--Mr. George F. Babbitt had
once praised him in a speech at the Boosters' Club. But there was opposition
from certain Episcopalian and Congregationalist ministers, those renegades
whom Mr. Monday so finely called "a bunch of gospel-pushers with dish-water
instead of blood, a gang of squealers that need more dust on the knees of
their pants and more hair on their skinny old chests." This opposition had
been crushed when the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce had reported to a
committee of manufacturers that in every city where he had appeared, Mr.
Monday had turned the minds of workmen from wages and hours to higher things,
and thus averted strikes. He was immediately invited.
An expense fund of forty thousand dollars had been underwritten; out on the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Odyssey by Homer: the semblance of a woman, fair and tall, and skilled in
splendid handiwork. And uttering her voice she spake unto
him winged words:
'Crafty must he be, and knavish, who would outdo thee in
all manner of guile, even if it were a god encountered
thee. Hardy man, subtle of wit, of guile insatiate, so thou
wast not even in thine own country to cease from thy
sleights and knavish words, which thou lovest from the
bottom of thine heart! But come, no more let us tell of
these things, being both of us practised in deceits, for
that thou art of all men far the first in counsel and in
The Odyssey |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: of the River of Mystery.
"But now we know that it was no blasphemy, that the
legend is a true one, and that the man told only of what he
saw; but what does it profit us, John Carter, since even should
we escape, we also would be treated as blasphemers? We
are between the wild thoat of certainty and the mad zitidar
of fact--we can escape neither."
"As Earth men say, we are between the devil and the deep sea,
Tars Tarkas," I replied, nor could I help but smile at our dilemma.
"There is naught that we can do but take things as they come,
and at least have the satisfaction of knowing that whoever
The Gods of Mars |
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 Manon Lescaut by Abbe Prevost: intention to make you bear the Cross of Malta: I now see that
your inclinations do not bend that way. You are an admirer of
beauty. I shall be able to find you a wife to your taste. Let
me candidly know how you feel upon the subject.'
"I answered that I could never again see the slightest
difference amongst women, and that after the misfortune I had
experienced, I detested them all equally. `I will find you one,'
replied my father, smiling, `who shall resemble Manon in beauty,
but who shall be more faithful.' `Ah! if you have any mercy,'
said I, `you will restore my Manon to me. Be assured, my dear
father, that she has not betrayed me; she is incapable of such
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