| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Chouans by Honore de Balzac: hand, he stopped short, terrified. "I wish I wasn't in the skin of my
mother's son!" he exclaimed, as he turned and disappeared with the
rapidity of a bird.
To understand this scene, so fatal to poor Merle, we must follow
Mademoiselle de Verneuil after the marquis, in his fury and despair,
had abandoned her to Pille-Miche. Francine had caught Marche-a-Terre
by the arm and reminded him, with sobs, of the promise he had made
her. Pille-Miche was already dragging away his victim like a heavy
bundle. Marie, her head and hair hanging back, turned her eyes to the
lake; but held as she was in a grasp of iron she was forced to follow
the Chouan, who turned now and then to hasten her steps, and each time
The Chouans |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg by Mark Twain: heated ones, not ungentle ones. The discussions to-night were a
sort of seeming plagiarisms of each other. Mrs. Richards said:
"If you had only waited, Edward--if you had only stopped to think;
but no, you must run straight to the printing-office and spread it
all over the world."
"It SAID publish it."
"That is nothing; it also said do it privately, if you liked.
There, now--is that true, or not?"
"Why, yes--yes, it is true; but when I thought what a stir it would
make, and what a compliment it was to Hadleyburg that a stranger
should trust it so--"
The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Apology by Xenophon: man prefers to obey his doctor rather than his parents; in the public
assembly the citizens of Athens, I presume, obey those whose arguments
exhibit the soundest wisdom rather than their own relations. And is it
not the case that, in your choice of generals, you set your fathers
and brothers, and, bless me! your own selves aside, by comparison with
those whom you believe to be the wisest authorities on military
matters?"
"No doubt, Socrates," replied Meletus, "because it is expedient and
customary so to do."
"Well then," rejoined Socrates, "does it not strike even you, Meletus,
as wonderful when in all ordinary concerns the best people should
The Apology |
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 Phoenix and the Turtle by William Shakespeare: That the self was not the same;
Single nature's double name
Neither two nor one was call'd.
Reason, in itself confounded,
Saw division grow together;
To themselves yet either-neither,
Simple were so well compounded.
That it cried how true a twain
Seemeth this concordant one!
Love hath reason, reason none
If what parts can so remain.
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