| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: imprudence in saying so much, indeed, taking little heed of what he
said, his mind obsessed by the other, to him, far weightier matter.
"To Sedgemoor?" gasped Westmacott.
"Aye - to take Feversham by surprise - to destroy King James's soldiers
in their beds. He should be near upon the attack by now. But there!
Spur on and save your breath if we are to overtake Sir Rowland."
They pounded on through the night at a breakneck pace which they never
slackened until, when within a quarter of a mile or so of Penzoy Pound,
where the army was encamped and slumbering by now, they caught sight of
the musketeers' matches glowing in the dark ahead of them. An outpost
barred their progress; but Richard had the watchword, and he spurred
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence: The room was cold, that had been warm for so long. Flowers,
bottles, plates, all sick-room litter was taken away; everything was
harsh and austere. She lay raised on the bed, the sweep of the sheet
from the raised feet was like a clean curve of snow, so silent.
She lay like a maiden asleep. With his candle in his hand, he bent
over her. She lay like a girl asleep and dreaming of her love.
The mouth was a little open as if wondering from the suffering,
but her face was young, her brow clear and white as if life had
never touched it. He looked again at the eyebrows, at the small,
winsome nose a bit on one side. She was young again. Only the hair
as it arched so beautifully from her temples was mixed with silver,
Sons and Lovers |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Rescue by Joseph Conrad: others he could not kill. The fools. He wanted the land and the
people in it to be forgotten as if they had been swallowed by the
sea. But they had neither wisdom nor patience. Could they not
wait? They chanted prayers five times every day, but they had not
the faith.
"Death comes to all--and to the believers the end of trouble. But
you white men who are too strong for us, you also die. You die.
And there is a Paradise as great as all earth and all Heaven
together, but not for you--not for you!"
Lingard, amazed, listened without a sound. The sleeper snored
faintly. Belarab continued very calm after this almost
The Rescue |
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 Hated Son by Honore de Balzac: "Poor, dear, little sensitive!" cried the countess as he fell asleep
tired with some play which had driven the sad memories from her mind,
"how can you live in this world? who will understand you? who will
love you? who will see the treasures hidden in that frail body? No
one! Like me, you are alone on earth."
She sighed and wept. The graceful pose of her child lying on her knees
made her smile sadly. She looked at him long, tasting one of those
pleasures which are a secret between mothers and God. Etienne's
weakness was so great that until he was a year and a half old she had
never dared to take him out of doors; but now the faint color which
tinted the whiteness of his skin like the petals of a wild rose,
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