| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tom Sawyer, Detective by Mark Twain: and the scoundrel his brother, there, had put upon me,
and how they laid in together to ruin me with the people,
and take away my good name, and DRIVE me to some deed
that would destroy me and my family that hadn't ever done
THEM no harm, so help me God! And they done it in a mean
revenge--for why? Because my innocent pure girl here at my
side wouldn't marry that rich, insolent, ignorant coward,
Brace Dunlap, who's been sniveling here over a brother
he never cared a brass farthing for--"[I see Tom give
a jump and look glad THIS time, to a dead certainty]"--
and in that moment I've told you about, I forgot my God
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Magic of Oz by L. Frank Baum: peach she seized a banana with her other hand and tore it from the bush.
The old sailor was still bewildered. He put out a hand indeed, but he was
too late, for now the bananas disappeared and lemons took their place.
"Pshaw!" cried Trot. "You can't eat those things; but watch out,
Cap'n, for something else."
Cocoanuts next appeared, but Cap'n Bill shook his head.
"Ca'n't crack 'em," he remarked, "'cause we haven't anything handy to
smash 'em with."
"Well, take one, anyhow," advised Trot; but the cocoanuts were gone
now, and a deep, purple, pear-shaped fruit which was unknown to them
took their place. Again Cap'n Bill hesitated, and Trot said to him:
The Magic of Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: Bibles, which came to me in my cargo from England, and which I had
packed up among my things; some Portuguese books also; and among
them two or three Popish prayer-books, and several other books, all
which I carefully secured. And I must not forget that we had in
the ship a dog and two cats, of whose eminent history I may have
occasion to say something in its place; for I carried both the cats
with me; and as for the dog, he jumped out of the ship of himself,
and swam on shore to me the day after I went on shore with my first
cargo, and was a trusty servant to me many years; I wanted nothing
that he could fetch me, nor any company that he could make up to
me; I only wanted to have him talk to me, but that would not do.
Robinson Crusoe |
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 Egmont by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe: thus. It is so sweet to reign!--and to abdicate? I know not how my father
could do so; but I will also.
Machiavel appears in the back-ground
Regent. Approach, Machiavel. I am thinking over this letter from my
brother.
Machiavel. May I know what it contains?
Regent. As much tender consideration for me as anxiety for his states. He
extols the firmness, the industry, the fidelity, with which I have hitherto
watched over the interests of his Majesty in these provinces. He condoles
with me that the unbridled people occasion me so much trouble. He is so
thoroughly convinced of the depth of my views, so extraordinarily
Egmont |
