| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne: nocturnal radiation. Light, like heat, can diffuse itself in
the air; hence an equality between the influences which no longer
exists, now that atmosphere has almost entirely disappeared.
And now I am going to astonish you."
"Astonish us?" said Michel Ardan.
"I firmly believe that at the period when the moon was inhabited,
the nights and days did not last 354 hours!"
"And why?" asked Nicholl quickly.
"Because most probably then the rotary motion of the moon upon
her axis was not equal to her revolution, an equality which
presents each part of her disc during fifteen days to the action
From the Earth to the Moon |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Alkahest by Honore de Balzac: twenty-two years of age, was what is called in France a fine man. He
came to finish his education in Paris, where he acquired excellent
manners in the society of Madame d'Egmont, Count Horn, the Prince of
Aremberg, the Spanish ambassador, Helvetius, and other Frenchmen
originally from Belgium, or coming lately thence, whose birth or
wealth won them admittance among the great seigneurs who at that time
gave the tone to social life. Young Claes found several relations and
friends ready to launch him into the great world at the very moment
when that world was about to fall. Like other young men, he was at
first more attracted by glory and science than by the vanities of
life. He frequented the society of scientific men, particularly
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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 The Case of the Registered Letter by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: light on the death of Siders, and comforted the prisoner with the
assurance that he, Muller, believed Graumann innocent, and believed
also that within a day or two he would return to G- with proofs
that his belief was the right one.
Three days later Muller returned to Grunau and went at once to the
Graumann home. It was quite late when he arrived, but he had
already notified Miss Roemer by telegram as to his coming, with a
request that she should be ready to see him. He found her waiting
for him, pale and anxious-eyed, when he arrived. "I have been to
Frankfurt am Main," he said, "and I have seen Mr. Pernburg - "
"Yes, yes, that is the name; now I remember," interrupted the girl
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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 On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: good with varieties in a state of nature. I have met with striking
instances of the rule in the case of varieties intermediate between
well-marked varieties in the genus Balanus. And it would appear from
information given me by Mr. Watson, Dr. Asa Gray, and Mr. Wollaston, that
generally when varieties intermediate between two other forms occur, they
are much rarer numerically than the forms which they connect. Now, if we
may trust these facts and inferences, and therefore conclude that varieties
linking two other varieties together have generally existed in lesser
numbers than the forms which they connect, then, I think, we can understand
why intermediate varieties should not endure for very long periods;--why as
a general rule they should be exterminated and disappear, sooner than the
On the Origin of Species |
