| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Mountains by Stewart Edward White: Next we leaped at one bound direct down to some
brown hazy liquid shot with the tenderest filaments
of white. After analysis we discovered the hazy
brown liquid to be the earth of the plains, and the
filaments of white to be roads. Thus instructed we
made out specks which were towns. That was all.
The rest was too insignificant to classify without the
aid of a microscope.
And afterwards, across those plains, oh, many,
many leagues, were the Inyo and Panamit mountains,
and beyond them Nevada and Arizona, and
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Adam Bede by George Eliot: the landlady, "because when two months are up, we shall make up
our minds as you don't want 'em."
"Yes," said Hetty indifferently.
The husband and wife were equally content with this arrangement.
The husband thought, if the ornaments were not redeemed, he could
make a good thing of it by taking them to London and selling them.
The wife thought she would coax the good man into letting her keep
them. And they were accommodating Hetty, poor thing--a pretty,
respectable-looking young woman, apparently in a sad case. They
declined to take anything for her food and bed: she was quite
welcome. And at eleven o'clock Hetty said "Good-bye" to them with
Adam Bede |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Cavalry General by Xenophon: man had better either not attempt to exercise command, or, as part and
parcel of his general equipment, let him pray to Heaven to enable him
to exercise this faculty and be at pains himself to cultivate his own
inventiveness.
[6] Cf. "Cyrop." IV. ii. 26; VII. i. 18.
[7] {posinda}, lit. "How many?" (i.e. dice, nuts, marbles, etc.); cf.
the old game, "Buck! buck! how many horns do I hold up?" Schneid.
cf. Aristot. "Rhet."iii. 5. 4.
[8] "Have been won in connection with craft." See "Cyrop." I. vi. 32;
"Mem." III. i. 6; IV. ii. 15.
A general, who has access to the sea, may exercise the faculty as
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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 Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley: to scramble and get into the Chine, and call the Chine what it was
in the truest sense, Fairyland. You recollect how it was all
eaten out into mountain ranges, pinnacles, steep cliffs of white,
and yellow, and pink, standing up against the clear blue sky; till
we agreed that, putting aside the difference of size, they were as
beautiful and grand as any Alps we had ever seen in pictures. And
how we saw (for there could be no mistake about it there) that the
Chine was being hollowed out by the springs which broke out high
up the cliff, and by the rain which wore the sand into furrowed
pinnacles and peaks. You recollect the beautiful place, and how,
when we looked back down it we saw between the miniature mountain
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