| 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: sare," said he, his words a threat.
"But, my lord.. ." began Richard. "I can make it very plain I am no
traitor..."
"In t'e mornin'," said Feversham blandly, waving his hand, and the
sergeant took Richard by the shoulder.
But Richard twisted from his grasp. "In the morning will be too late,"
he cried. "I have it in my power to render you such a service as you
little dream of."
"Take `im away," said Feversham wearily.
"I can save you from destruction," bawled Richard, "you and your army."
Perhaps even now Feversham had not heeded him but for Wilding's sudden
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare: Such gallant chiding. For besides the groues,
The skies, the fountaines, euery region neere,
Seeme all one mutuall cry. I neuer heard
So musicall a discord, such sweet thunder
Thes. My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kinde,
So flew'd, so sanded, and their heads are hung
With eares that sweepe away the morning dew,
Crooke kneed, and dew-lapt, like Thessalian Buls,
Slow in pursuit, but match'd in mouth like bels,
Each vnder each. A cry more tuneable
Was neuer hallowed to, nor cheer'd with horne,
A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Economist by Xenophon: [16] Lit. "in the tiniest receptacle."
[17] See Holden ad loc. re {xelina, plekta, kremasta}.
[18] "In weighing anchor."
[19] "Suspended tackle" (as opposed to wooden spars and masts, etc.)
Well, all these different things that I have named lay packed there in
a space but little larger than a fair-sized dining-room.[20] The
several sorts, moreover, as I noticed, lay so well arranged, there
could be no entanglement of one with other, nor were searchers
needed;[21] and if all were snugly stowed, all were alike get-at-
able,[22] much to the avoidance of delay if anything were wanted on
the instant.
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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 Memories and Portraits by Robert Louis Stevenson: moonlight brighten the white hills. Thence I would turn again to
that crowded and sunny field of life in which it was so easy to
forget myself, my cares, and my surroundings: a place busy as a
city, bright as a theatre, thronged with memorable faces, and
sounding with delightful speech. I carried the thread of that epic
into my slumbers, I woke with it unbroken, I rejoiced to plunge
into the book again at breakfast, it was with a pang that I must
lay it down and turn to my own labours; for no part of the world
has ever seemed to me so charming as these pages, and not even my
friends are quite so real, perhaps quite so dear, as d'Artagnan.
Since then I have been going to and fro at very brief intervals in
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