| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: against attempting to enter the city. Before he left her he bent
and kissed her hand as a warrior may kiss the hand of his queen.
CHAPTER X
ENTRAPPED
TURAN the panthan approached the strange city under cover of the
darkness. He entertained little hope of finding either food or
water outside the wall, but he would try and then, if he failed,
he would attempt to make his way into the city, for Tara of
Helium must have sustenance and have it soon. He saw that the
walls were poorly sentineled, but they were sufficiently high to
render an attempt to scale them foredoomed to failure. Taking
The Chessmen of Mars |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Reign of King Edward the Third by William Shakespeare: What canst thou promise that I cannot break?
Which of these twain is greater infamy,
To disobey thy father or thy self?
Thy word, nor no mans, may exceed his power;
Nor that same man doth never break his word,
That keeps it to the utmost of his power.
The breach of faith dwells in the soul's consent:
Which if thy self without consent do break,
Thou art not charged with the breach of faith.
Go, hang him: for thy license lies in me,
And my constraint stands the excuse for thee.
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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 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte: inwardly exclaimed. I was far too indignant to hazard a reply to
her observation aloud; and nothing more was said about Mr. Weston
that day, by me or in my hearing. But next morning, soon after
breakfast, Miss Murray came into the schoolroom, where her sister
was employed at her studies, or rather her lessons, for studies
they were not, and said, 'Matilda, I want you to take a walk with
me about eleven o'clock.'
'Oh, I can't, Rosalie! I have to give orders about my new bridle
and saddle-cloth, and speak to the rat-catcher about his dogs:
Miss Grey must go with you.'
'No, I want you,' said Rosalie; and calling her sister to the
Agnes Grey |
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 Hellenica by Xenophon: whole of their cavalry were away in Arcadia, and so was their foreign
brigade, and so were three out of their twelve regiments.[6]
[3] Or, "dull obscurity in place of renown."
[4] Pellene (or Pellana), a town of Laconia on the Eurotas, and on the
road from Sparta to Arcadia; in fact the frontier fortress on the
Eurotas, as Sellasia on the Oenus; "Dict. of Anct. Geog." s.v.;
see Paus. iii. 20, S. 2; Strab. viii. 386; Polyb. iv. 81, xvi. 37;
Plut. "Agis," 8; Leake, "Morea," iii. 14 foll.
[5] Cf. "Hipparch." iv. 9.
[6] Lit. "lochi." See above, VII. iv. 20; "Pol. Lac." xi. 4.
Arrived within the city of Sparta,[7] Epaminondas abstained from
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