| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from King Henry VI by William Shakespeare: SOLDIER.
[Reads.] 'Edward the Fourth, by the grace of God,
King of England and France, and Lord of Ireland,' etc.
MONTGOMERY.
And whoso'er gainsays King Edward's right,
By this I challenge him to single fight.
[Throws down gauntlet.]
ALL.
Long live Edward the Fourth!
KING EDWARD.
Thanks, brave Montgomery, and thanks unto you all;
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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 Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli: hold it. The lord of Serravalle was Manfred, a German, who, before
Castruccio became lord of Pistoia, had been allowed to remain in
possession of the castle, it being common to the Lucchese and the
Pistoians, and unclaimed by either--neither of them wishing to
displace Manfred as long as he kept his promise of neutrality, and
came under obligations to no one. For these reasons, and also because
the castle was well fortified, he had always been able to maintain his
position. It was here that Castruccio had determined to fall upon his
enemy, for here his few men would have the advantage, and there was no
fear lest, seeing the large masses of the hostile force before they
became engaged, they should not stand. As soon as this trouble with
The Prince |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Tin Woodman of Oz by L. Frank Baum: "We have powerful friends who will soon come to
rescue us."
"Let them come," she returned, with an accent of
scorn. "When they get here they will find neither a
boy, nor a tin man, nor a scarecrow, for tomorrow
morning I intend to transform you all into other
shapes, so that you cannot be recognized."
This threat filled them with dismay. The good-natured
Giantess was more terrible than they had imagined. She
could smile and wear pretty clothes and at the same
time be even more cruel than her wicked husband had been.
The Tin Woodman of Oz |
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 A Distinguished Provincial at Paris by Honore de Balzac: poet cut a poor figure notwithstanding his singular beauty. The
sleeves of his jacket were too short; with his ill-cut country gloves
and a waistcoat too scanty for him, he looked prodigiously ridiculous,
compared with the young men in the balcony--"positively pitiable,"
thought Mme. de Bargeton. Chatelet, interested in her without
presumption, taking care of her in a manner that revealed a profound
passion; Chatelet, elegant, and as much at home as an actor treading
the familiar boards of his theatre, in two days had recovered all the
ground lost in the past six months.
Ordinary people will not admit that our sentiments towards each other
can totally change in a moment, and yet certain it is, that two lovers
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