| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Complete Angler by Izaak Walton: was derived to posterity: others say that he left it engraver on those
pillars which he erected, and trusted to preserve the knowledge of the
mathematicks, musick, and the rest of that precious knowledge, and
those useful arts, which by God's appointment or allowance, and his
noble industry, were thereby preserved from perishing in Noah's flood.
These, Sir, have been the opinions of several men, that have possibly
endeavoured to make angling more ancient than is needful, or may well
be warranted; but for my part, I shall content myself in telling you, that
angling is much more ancient than the incarnation of our Saviour; for in
the Prophet Amos mention is made of fish-hooks; and in the book of
Job, which was long before the days of Amos, for that book is said to
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Maitre Cornelius by Honore de Balzac: of love.
"This evening," he replied, "I shall offer myself as apprentice to
Maitre Cornelius, the king's silversmith. I have obtained a letter of
recommendation to him which will make him receive me. His house is
next to yours. Once under the roof of that old thief, I can soon find
my way to your apartment by the help of a silken ladder."
"Oh!" she said, petrified with horror, "if you love me don't go to
Maitre Cornelius."
"Ah!" he cried, pressing her to his heart with all the force of his
youth, "you do indeed love me!"
"Yes," she said; "are you not my hope? You are a gentleman, and I
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Extracts From Adam's Diary by Mark Twain: disordered--everything shows it. Sometimes she carries the fish
in her arms half the night when it complains and wants to get to
the water. At such times the water comes out of the places in
her face that she looks out of, and she pats the fish on the back
and makes soft sounds with her mouth to soothe it, and betrays
sorrow and solicitude in a hundred ways. I have never seen her
do like this with any other fish, and it troubles me greatly. She
used to carry the young tigers around so, and play with them,
before we lost our property; but it was only play; she never took
on about them like this when their dinner disagreed with them.
Sunday
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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 Vailima Letters by Robert Louis Stevenson: of the squatted villages, an orator would arise. The field
was almost beyond the reach of any human speaking voice; the
proceedings besides continued in the midst; yet it was
possible to catch snatches of this elaborate and cut-and-dry
oratory - it was possible for me, for instance, to catch the
description of my gift and myself as the ALII TUSITALA, O LE
ALII O MALO TETELE - the chief White Information, the chief
of the great Governments. Gay designation? In the house, in
our three curule chairs, we sat and looked on. On our left a
little group of the family. In front of us, at our feet, an
ancient Talking-man, crowned with green leaves, his profile
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