| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Youth by Joseph Conrad: Abraham's bunk was attached, remained as if by a mir-
acle. We groped in the ruins and came upon this, and
there he was, sitting in his bunk, surrounded by foam and
wreckage, jabbering cheerfully to himself. He was out
of his mind; completely and for ever mad, with this
sudden shock coming upon the fag-end of his endurance.
We snatched him up, lugged him aft, and pitched him
head-first down the cabin companion. You understand
there was no time to carry him down with infinite pre-
cautions and wait to see how he got on. Those below
would pick him up at the bottom of the stairs all right.
 Youth |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Caesar's Commentaries in Latin by Julius Caesar: sustulerant, ex superiore portu leni vento solverunt. Quae cum
adpropinquarent Britanniae et ex castris viderentur, tanta tempestas
subito coorta est ut nulla earum cursum tenere posset, sed aliae eodem
unde erant profectae referrentur, aliae ad inferiorem partem insulae, quae
est propius solis occasum, magno suo cum periculo deicerentur; quae tamen
ancoris iactis cum fluctibus complerentur, necessario adversa nocte in
altum provectae continentem petierunt.
Eadem nocte accidit ut esset luna plena, qui dies a maritimos aestus
maximos in Oceano efficere consuevit, nostrisque id erat incognitum. Ita
uno tempore et longas naves, [quibus Caesar exercitum transportandum
curaverat,] quas Caesar in aridum subduxerat, aestus complebat, et
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