| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Another Study of Woman by Honore de Balzac: hair's breadth; they glide unremarkable between the waters of the
citizen class and those of the nobility--not altogether noble nor
altogether /bourgeoises/," said the Marquise de Rochegude acridly.
"The press has fallen heir to the Woman," exclaimed Rastignac. "She no
longer has the quality of a spoken /feuilleton/--delightful calumnies
graced by elegant language. We read /feuilletons/ written in a dialect
which changes every three years, society papers about as mirthful as
an undertaker's mute, and as light as the lead of their type. French
conversation is carried on from one end of the country to the other in
a revolutionary jargon, through long columns of type printed in old
mansions where a press groans in the place where formerly elegant
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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 Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter by Beatrix Potter: and rafters, and cobwebs, and lath
and plaster.
Opposite to him--as far away as he
could sit--was an enormous rat.
"What do you mean by tumbling
into my bed all covered with smuts?"
said the rat, chattering his teeth.
"Please, sir, the chimney wants
sweeping," said poor Tom Kitten.
"Anna Maria! Anna Maria!"
squeaked the rat. There was a
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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 The Deputy of Arcis by Honore de Balzac: good order." Then he said to the coachman, "Paris!"
The next day, quite early in the morning, Monsieur de l'Estorade was
in his study, employed in a rather singular manner. It will be
remembered that on the day when Sallenauve, then Dorlange the
sculptor, had sent him the bust of Madame de l'Estorade, he had not
found a place where, as he thought, the little masterpiece had a
proper light. From the moment that Rastignac hinted to him that his
intercourse with the sculptor, now deputy, might injure him at court,
he had agreed with his son Armand that the artist had given to Madame
de l'Estorade the air of a grisette; but now that Sallenauve, by his
resistance to ministerial blandishments, had taken an openly hostile
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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 Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians by Martin Luther: Abraham because he believed. The whole world is blessed if it believes as
Abraham believed.
The blessing is the promise of the Gospel. That all nations are to be blessed
means that all nations are to hear the Gospel. All nations are to be declared
righteous before God through faith in Christ Jesus. To bless simply means to
spread abroad the knowledge of Christ's salvation. This is the office of the
New Testament Church which distributes the promised blessing by preaching
the Gospel, by administering the sacraments, by comforting the broken-
hearted, in short, by dispensing the benefits of Christ.
The Jews exhibited a working Abraham. The Pope exhibits a working Christ, or
an exemplary Christ. The Pope quotes Christ's saying recorded in John 13:15,
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