| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Jerusalem Delivered by Torquato Tasso: XC
"But mongst the rest I chose Alphonsus bold,
In virtue first, second in place and name,
He shall be born when this frail world grows old,
Corrupted, poor, and bare of men of fame,
Better than he none shall, none can, or could,
The sword or sceptre use or guide the same,
To rule in peace or to command in fight,
Thine offspring's glory and thy house's light.
XCI
"His younger age foretokens true shall yield
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Hidden Masterpiece by Honore de Balzac: "Forgive me, my own Gillette," said the painter, throwing himself at
her feet. "I would rather be loved than famous. To me thou art more
precious than fortune and honors. Yes, away with these brushes! burn
those sketches! I have been mistaken. My vocation is to love thee,--
thee alone! I am not a painter, I am thy lover. Perish art and all its
secrets!"
She looked at him admiringly, happy and captivated by his passion. She
reigned; she felt instinctively that the arts were forgotten for her
sake, and flung at her feet like grains of incense.
"Yet he is only an old man," resumed Poussin. "In you he would see
only a woman. You are the perfect woman whom he seeks."
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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 A Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: thinke, men's carriage; and having found a sergeant neglecting
his dutie and his honour at such a time (whose name I will not
expresse), having chidden him, did promise to reveale him unto
me, as he did after their service. The sergeant being called
before me, and accused, did deny his accusation, alleaging, if he
were no pasteur that had alleaged it, he would not lie under the
injury, The preacher offered to fight with him, [in proof] that
it was truth he had spoken of him; whereupon I cashiered the
sergeant, and gave his place to a worthier, called Mungo Gray, a
gentleman of good worth, and of much courage. The sergeant being
cashiered, never called Master William to account, for which he
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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 Extracts From Adam's Diary by Mark Twain: perfectly plain that they are the same breed. I was going to stuff
one of them for my collection, but she is prejudiced against it
for some reason or other; so I have relinquished the idea, though
I think it is a mistake. It would be an irreparable loss to science
if they should get away. The old one is tamer than it was, and
can laugh and talk like the parrot, having learned this, no doubt,
from being with the parrot so much, and having the imitative faculty
in a highly developed degree. I shall be astonished if it turns
out to be a new kind of parrot, and yet I ought not to be astonished,
for it has already been everything else it could think of, since
those first days when it was a fish. The new one is as ugly now
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