| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Scenes from a Courtesan's Life by Honore de Balzac: asked him, "What do you want with me?"
"Dear me," said William Barker, "every one for himself in this world.
You had the money of that rascal d'Estourny.--Be quite easy, I have
not come to ask for it; but that scoundrel, who deserves hanging,
between you and me, gave me these bills, saying that there might be
some chance of recovering the money; and as I do not choose to
prosecute in my own name, he told me you would not refuse to back
them."
Cerizet looked at the bills.
"But he is no longer at Frankfort," said he.
"I know it," replied Barker, "but he may still have been there at 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 Chronicles of the Canongate by Walter Scott: may think a bit, for your mother's son kens that ye are no so
careful as you should be of the gear, and I hae tauld ye of it
before, jewel."
I assured her I could easily spare the money, without risk of
future repentance; and she went on to infer that in such a case
"Mr. Croftangry had grown a rich man in foreign parts, and was
free of his troubles with messengers and sheriff-officers, and
siclike scum of the earth, and Shanet MacEvoy's mother's daughter
be a blithe woman to hear it. But if Mr. Croftangry was in
trouble, there was his room, and his ped, and Shanet to wait on
him, and tak payment when it was quite convenient."
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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 Finished by H. Rider Haggard: her who stands above you."
Now all looked to the rock, but it was empty. The figure had
vanished.
"Your word, King," said Zikali. "Is it for peace or war?"
Cetewayo looked at the assegai, looked at the blood trickling
from his knee, looked at the faces of the councillors.
"Blood calls for blood," he moaned. "My word is--_War!_"
CHAPTER XVII
KAATJE BRINGS NEWS
Zikali burst into one of his peals of laughter, so unholy that
it caused the blood in me to run cold.
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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 Louis Lambert by Honore de Balzac: steps: Will and Faith.
XII
Facts are nothing; they do not subsist; all that lives of us is
the Idea.
XIII
The realm of Ideas is divided into three spheres: that of
Instinct, that of Abstractions, that of Specialism.
XIV
The greater part, the weaker part of visible humanity, dwells in
the Sphere of Instinct. The /Instinctives/ are born, labor, and
die without rising to the second degree of human intelligence,
Louis Lambert |
