| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Ancient Regime by Charles Kingsley: democracy as did the invention of firearms. A tribe of riders must
have been always, more or less, equal and free. Equal because a man
on a horse would feel himself a man indeed; because the art of
riding called out an independence, a self-help, a skill, a
consciousness of power, a personal pride and vanity, which would
defy slavery. Free, because a tribe of riders might be defeated,
exterminated, but never enchained. They could never become gleboe
adscripti, bound to the soil, as long as they could take horse and
saddle, and away. History gives us more than one glimpse of such
tribes--the scourge and terror of the non-riding races with whom
they came in contact. Some, doubtless, remember how in the wars
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Persuasion by Jane Austen: by what she heard. She boldly acknowledged herself flattered,
and continued her enquiries.
"Oh! he talks of you," cried Charles, "in such terms--"
Mary interrupted him. "I declare, Charles, I never heard him
mention Anne twice all the time I was there. I declare, Anne,
he never talks of you at all."
"No," admitted Charles, "I do not know that he ever does, in a general
way; but however, it is a very clear thing that he admires you exceedingly.
His head is full of some books that he is reading upon your recommendation,
and he wants to talk to you about them; he has found out something or other
in one of them which he thinks--oh! I cannot pretend to remember it,
Persuasion |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy: "I am not going back to Paris."
"What will you do with a wife, then?"
"Keep a school in Budmouth, as I have told you."
"That's incredible! The place is overrun with schoolmasters.
You have no special qualifications. What possible chance
is there for such as you?"
"There is no chance of getting rich. But with my system
of education, which is as new as it is true, I shall
do a great deal of good to my fellow-creatures."
"Dreams, dreams! If there had been any system left to be
invented they would have found it out at the universities
Return of the Native |
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 Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson: with.
"It's been always my opinion that I would hang in a tow for this family
of mine," he cried, "and, dod! I believe the day's come now! Get a
ship for him, quot' he! And who's to pay for it? The man's daft!"
"That is my part of the affair, Mr. Stewart," said I. "Here is a bag
of good money, and if more be wanted, more is to be had where it came
from."
"I needn't ask your politics," said he.
"Ye need not," said I, smiling, "for I'm as big a Whig as grows."
"Stop a bit, stop a bit," says Mr. Stewart. "What's all this? A Whig?
Then why are you here with Alan's button? and what kind of a black-foot
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