| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Gambara by Honore de Balzac: "She is proud with a vengeance!" she exclaimed. "And much good it has
done her!" she added in Giardini's ear.
All that year musicians took especial care of their instruments, and
repairs did not bring in enough to enable the poor couple to pay their
way; the wife, too, did not earn much by her needle, and they were
compelled to turn their talents to account in the lowest form of
employment. They would go out together in the dark to the Champs
Elysees and sing duets, which Gambara, poor fellow, accompanied on a
wretched guitar. On the way, Marianna, who on these expeditions
covered her head with a sort of veil of coarse muslin, would take her
husband to the grocer's shop in the Faubourg Saint-Honore and give him
Gambara |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Two Brothers by Honore de Balzac: The old woman smiled, and led him into the former salon, which was now
her bed-chamber.
"You shall see," she said.
Madame Descoings hastily unmade the bed, and searched for her scissors
to rip the mattress; she put on her spectacles, looked at the ticking,
saw the hole, and let fall the mattress. Hearing a sigh from the
depths of the old woman's breast, as though she were strangled by a
rush of blood to the heart, Joseph instinctively held out his arms to
catch the poor creature, and placed her fainting in a chair, calling
to his mother to come to them. Agathe rose, slipped on her dressing-
gown, and ran in. By the light of a candle, she applied the ordinary
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Glinda of Oz by L. Frank Baum: Dorothy. "You can do that, can't you?"
"I suppose so," replied the crab. "But if I do what
will you give me?"
"What do you wish?" Ozma inquired.
"I wish to be white, instead of green," said the
crab. "Green crabs are very common, and white ones are
rare; besides the purple spiders, which infest this
hillside, are afraid of white crabs. Could you make me
white if I should agree to cut the web for you?"
"Yes," said Ozma, "I can do that easily. And, so you
may know I am speaking the truth, I will change your
Glinda of Oz |
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 Hellenica by Xenophon: favourable, sat down at Tegea and set about despatching to and fro the
commandants of allied troops whilst contentedly awaiting the soldiers
from the provincial[11] districts of Laconia.
[4] For an alliance between Athens and the Locrians, B.C. 395, see
Hicks, 67; and below, IV. ii. 17.
[5] Lit. "the." See Paus. III. ix. 9.
[6] See Grote, "H. G." ix. 309, 403; viii. 355.
[7] "Hell." II. iv. 30, B.C. 403.
[8] See above, III. iv. 3; and below, VII. i. 34.
[9] See Paus. III. ix. 1-3.
[10] See Freeman, op. cit. p. 167, "Ill feeling between Thebes and
|
