| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from My Aunt Margaret's Mirror by Walter Scott: I tell you, kinsman, that the sort of waking dreams which my
imagination spins out, in what your favourite Wordsworth calls
'moods of my own mind,' are worth all the rest of my more active
days. Then, instead of looking forwards, as I did in youth, and
forming for myself fairy palaces, upon the verge of the grave I
turn my eyes backward upon the days and manners of my better
time; and the sad, yet soothing recollections come so close and
interesting, that I almost think it sacrilege to be wiser or more
rational or less prejudiced than those to whom I looked up in my
younger years."
"I think I now understand what you mean," I answered, "and can
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini: "That is our grievance. That is what we are going to change."
"You are going to abolish governing classes? An interesting
experiment. I believe it was the original plan of creation, and it
might have succeeded but for Cain."
"What we are going to do," said M. de Vilmorin, curbing his
exasperation, "is to transfer the government to other hands."
"And you think that will make a difference?"
"I know it will."
"Ah! I take it that being now in minor orders, you already possess
the confidence of the Almighty. He will have confided to you His
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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 Cousin Pons by Honore de Balzac: "You always make these announcements so cleverly that you leave me no
time to think, Madeleine."
"Jean is out, madame, I was all alone; M. Pons rang the bell, I opened
the door; and as he is almost one of the family, I could not prevent
him from coming after me. There he is, taking off his spencer."
"Poor little puss!" said the Presidente, addressing her daughter, "we
are caught. We shall have to dine at home now.--Let us see," she
added, seeing that the "dear puss" wore a piteous face; "must we get
rid of him for good?"
"Oh! poor man!" cried Mlle. Camusot, "deprive him of one of his
dinners?"
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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 The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson by Robert Louis Stevenson: long ago; and now, though it must be done, I am so stupid that I
can only boldly recapitulate. A phrase of three members is the
outside of my syntax.
First, I liked the ROVER better than any of your other verse. I
believe you are right, and can make stories in verse. The last two
stanzas and one or two in the beginning - but the two last above
all - I thought excellent. I suggest a pursuit of the vein. If
you want a good story to treat, get the MEMOIRS OF THE CHEVALIER
JOHNSTONE, and do his passage of the Tay; it would be excellent:
the dinner in the field, the woman he has to follow, the dragoons,
the timid boatmen, the brave lasses. It would go like a charm;
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