| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Atheist's Mass by Honore de Balzac: to marvel at!"
Bianchon did not wish to seem as though he were spying the head
surgeon of the Hotel-Dieu; he went away. As it happened, Desplein
asked him to dine with him that day, not at his own house, but at
a restaurant. At dessert Bianchon skilfully contrived to talk of
the mass, speaking of it as mummery and a farce.
"A farce," said Desplein, "which has cost Christendom more blood
than all Napoleon's battles and all Broussais' leeches. The mass
is a papal invention, not older than the sixth century, and
based on the Hoc est corpus. What floods of blood were shed to
establish the Fete-Dieu, the Festival of Corpus Christi--the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Passionate Pilgrim by William Shakespeare: Study his bias leaves, and make his book thine eyes,
Where all those pleasures live that art can comprehend.
If knowledge be the mark, to know thee shall suffice;
Well learned is that tongue that well can thee commend;
All ignorant that soul that sees thee without wonder;
Which is to me some praise, that I thy parts admire:
Thy eye Jove's lightning seems, thy voice his dreadful thunder,
Which, not to anger bent, is music and sweet fire.
Celestial as thou art, O do not love that wrong,
To sing heaven's praise with such an earthly tongue.
VI.
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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 Under the Andes by Rex Stout: drowned by the deafening, stunning roar of the water. All was
darkness and confusion. I kept asking myself: "Why doesn't it
come?" It seemed an age since I had thrown myself on my face.
Suddenly the raft leaped up under me and away. It seemed as
though some giant hand had grasped it from beneath and jerked it
down with tremendous force. The air was filled with water, lashing
my face and body furiously. The raft whirled about like a cork.
I gripped the straps with all the strength that was in me. Down,
down we went into the darkness; my breath was gone and my brain
whirled dizzily.
There was a sudden sharp lurch, a jerk upward, and I felt the
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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 School For Scandal by Richard Brinsley Sheridan: conviction on--
SIR PETER. I wish I were once satisfied of that--She looks this
way----what a remarkably elegant Turn of the Head she has!
Rowley I'll go to her--
ROWLEY. Certainly--
SIR PETER. Tho' when it is known that we are reconciled, People
will laugh at me ten times more!
ROWLEY. Let--them laugh--and retort their malice only by
showing them you are happy in spite of it.
SIR PETER. Efaith so I will--and, if I'm not mistaken we may yet
be the happiest couple in the country--
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