| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Ancient Regime by Charles Kingsley: But, even when at its best, their system of government had in it--
like all human invention--original sin; an unnatural and unrighteous
element, which was certain, sooner or later, to produce decay and
ruin. The old Nobility of Europe was not a mere aristocracy. It
was a caste: a race not intermarrying with the races below it. It
was not a mere aristocracy. For that, for the supremacy of the best
men, all societies strive, or profess to strive. And such a true
aristocracy may exist independent of caste, or the hereditary
principle at all. We may conceive an Utopia, governed by an
aristocracy which should be really democratic; which should use,
under developed forms, that method which made the mediaeval
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Faraday as a Discoverer by John Tyndall: written; probably his habitual caution would have prevented him from
committing himself to anything so definite. But some such idea
filled his mind and coloured his language through all the later
years of his life. I dare not say that he has been always
successful in the treatment of these theoretic notions. In his
speculations he mixes together light and darkness in varying
proportions, and carries us along with him through strong
alternations of both. It is impossible to say how a certain amount
of mathematical training would have affected his work. We cannot
say what its influence would have been upon that force of
inspiration that urged him on; whether it would have daunted him,
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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 Black Beauty by Anna Sewell: Seeing who it was, we stood still under our lime-tree,
and let them come up to us. They examined us carefully.
The earl seemed much annoyed.
"There is three hundred pounds flung away for no earthly use," said he;
"but what I care most for is that these horses of my old friend,
who thought they would find a good home with me, are ruined.
The mare shall have a twelve-month's run, and we shall see
what that will do for her; but the black one, he must be sold;
'tis a great pity, but I could not have knees like these in my stables."
"No, my lord, of course not," said York; "but he might get
a place where appearance is not of much consequence,
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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 Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis: never seen!" complained the boy.
"Oh, I'll bet you did! I bet you lapped up the malted milk like a reg'lar
little devil!"
Then, the boy having served as introduction, they ignored him and charged into
real talk. Only Paul, sitting by himself, reading at a serial story in a
newspaper, failed to join them and all but Babbitt regarded him as a snob, an
eccentric, a person of no spirit.
Which of them said which has never been determined, and does not matter, since
they all had the same ideas and expressed them always with the same ponderous
and brassy assurance. If it was not Babbitt who was delivering any given
verdict, at least he was beaming on the chancellor who did deliver it.
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