| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland by Olive Schreiner: there beside him.
"And when the evening came, he went back to his chapel. Many were absent,
but the elders sat in their places, and his wife also was there. And the
light shone on the empty benches. And when the time came he opened the old
book of the Jews; and he turned the leaves and read:--'If thou forbear to
deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be
slain; if thou sayest, 'Behold we knew it not!' Doth not he that pondereth
the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth he not know it?'
"And he said, 'This morning we considered the evils this land is suffering
under at the hands of men whose aim is the attainment of wealth and power.
Tonight we shall look at our own share in the matter. I think we shall
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tom Sawyer, Detective by Mark Twain: country--hang him, maybe; I dunno. But when they found
their dead brother in the sycamores without knowing him,
because he was so battered up, they see they had a better thing;
disguise BOTH and bury Jake and dig him up presently
all dressed up in Jubiter's clothes, and hire Jim Lane
and Bill Withers and the others to swear to some handy
lies--which they done. And there they set, now, and I
told them they would be looking sick before I got done,
and that is the way they're looking now.
"Well, me and Huck Finn here, we come down on the boat
with the thieves, and the dead one told us all about the
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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 The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli: and obscurity; or have been aggrieved by Fortune in some outrageous
way. They have either been exposed to the mercy of wild beasts, or
they have had so mean a parentage that in shame they have given
themselves out to be sons of Jove or of some other deity. It would be
wearisome to relate who these persons may have been because they are
well known to everybody, and, as such tales would not be particularly
edifying to those who read them, they are omitted. I believe that
these lowly beginnings of great men occur because Fortune is desirous
of showing to the world that such men owe much to her and little to
wisdom, because she begins to show her hand when wisdom can really
take no part in their career: thus all success must be attributed to
The Prince |
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 Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Bronte Sisters: But I had not wandered far before my solitude was interrupted by
the only person that could have disturbed my musings, at that
moment, without being looked upon as an unwelcome intruder: Mr.
Huntingdon came suddenly upon me. So unexpected was the
apparition, that I might have thought it the creation of an over-
excited imagination, had the sense of sight alone borne witness to
his presence; but immediately I felt his strong arm round my waist
and his warm kiss on my cheek, while his keen and gleeful
salutation, 'My own Helen!' was ringing in my ear.
'Not yours yet!' said I, hastily swerving aside from this too
presumptuous greeting. 'Remember my guardians. You will not
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall |
