| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Almayer's Folly by Joseph Conrad: silent communion of betel-nut chewers, moving their jaws slowly,
expectorating decorously into the wide-mouthed brass vessel they
passed to one another, and listening to the awful din of the
battling elements outside.
"There is a very great flood," remarked Babalatchi, sadly.
"Yes," said Lakamba. "Did Dain go?"
"He went, Tuan. He ran down to the river like a man possessed of
the Sheitan himself."
There was another long pause.
"He may get drowned," suggested Lakamba at last, with some show
of interest.
Almayer's Folly |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde: [LADY AGATHA and MR. HOPPER cross and exit on terrace L.U.E.]
PARKER. Mr. Cecil Graham!
[Enter MR. CECIL GRAHAM.]
CECIL GRAHAM. [Bows to LADY WINDERMERE, passes over and shakes
hands with LORD WINDERMERE.] Good evening, Arthur. Why don't you
ask me how I am? I like people to ask me how I am. It shows a
wide-spread interest in my health. Now, to-night I am not at all
well. Been dining with my people. Wonder why it is one's people
are always so tedious? My father would talk morality after dinner.
I told him he was old enough to know better. But my experience is
that as soon as people are old enough to know better, they don't
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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 Intentions by Oscar Wilde: influence will your critic, brought up in these exquisite
surroundings, possess? Do you really think that any artist is ever
affected by criticism?
GILBERT. The influence of the critic will be the mere fact of his
own existence. He will represent the flawless type. In him the
culture of the century will see itself realised. You must not ask
of him to have any aim other than the perfecting of himself. The
demand of the intellect, as has been well said, is simply to feel
itself alive. The critic may, indeed, desire to exercise
influence; but, if so, he will concern himself not with the
individual, but with the age, which he will seek to wake into
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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 The Wrecker by Stevenson & Osbourne: Nares repeated his curt nod, still without speech; and I thought
he held us both under a watchful scrutiny.
"O!" says Jim, "this is Captain Nares, is it? Good morning,
Captain Nares. Happy to have the pleasure of your
acquaintance, sir. I know you well by reputation."
Perhaps, under the circumstances of the moment, this was
scarce a welcome speech. At least, Nares received it with a
grunt.
"Well, Captain," Jim continued, "you know about the size of
the business? You're to take the Nora Creina to Midway
Island, break up a wreck, call at Honolulu, and back to this
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