| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Albert Savarus by Honore de Balzac: little innocent air, which shammed simplicity to deceive Madame de
Watteville.
From that Sunday, when Mademoiselle de Watteville had met that look,
or, if you please, received this baptism of fire--a fine expression of
Napoleon's which may be well applied to love--she eagerly promoted the
plan for the Belvedere.
"Mamma," said she one day when two columns were turned, "my father has
taken a singular idea into his head; he is turning columns for a
Belvedere he intends to erect on the heap of stones in the middle of
the garden. Do you approve of it? It seems to me--"
"I approve of everything your father does," said Madame de Watteville
Albert Savarus |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas: having been brought in ready spread.
Felton remained behind; he held a book in his hand.
Milady, reclining in an armchair near the chimney, beautiful,
pale, and resigned, looked like a holy virgin awaiting martyrdom.
Felton approached her, and said, "Lord de Winter, who is a
Catholic, like yourself, madame, thinking that the deprivation of
the rites and ceremonies of your church might be painful to you,
has consented that you should read every day the ordinary of your
Mass; and here is a book which contains the ritual."
At the manner in which Felton laid the book upon the little table
near which Milady was sitting, at the tone in which he pronounced
The Three Musketeers |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft: which the smallest details will always remain engraved on my mind.
Only in fantastic nightmares could any human beings but Danforth
and me conceive such optical effects. Between us and the churning
vapors of the west lay that monstrous tangle of dark stone towers,
its outre and incredible forms impressing us afresh at every new
angle of vision. It was a mirage in solid stone, and were it not
for the photographs, I would still doubt that such a thing could
be. The general type of masonry was identical with that of the
rampart we had examined; but the extravagant shapes which this
masonry took in its urban manifestations were past all description.
Even the pictures illustrate only one or two phases of its endless
At the Mountains of Madness |
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 Reign of King Edward the Third by William Shakespeare: Crept from your graves to walk upon the earth?
POOR.
No ghosts, my Lord, but men that breath a life
Far worse than is the quiet sleep of death:
We are distressed poor inhabitants,
That long have been diseased, sick, and lame;
And now, because we are not fit to serve,
The Captain of the town hath thrust us forth,
That so expense of victuals may be saved.
KING EDWARD.
A charitable deed, no doubt, and worthy praise!
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