| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Court Life in China by Isaac Taylor Headland: have reposed greater confidence of having all his reform measures
carried to a successful issue; and a brother with whom he had
always lived in sympathy would be more likely to continue his
policy than any one else.
But, in the second place, as we may suppose, Prince Chun was
selected by the Empress Dowager, whatever the edicts issued, and
will thus have the confidence of the party of which she has been
the leader. It is quite wrong to suppose that this is the
conservative party, or even a conservative party. China has both
reform and conservative parties, but, in addition to these, she
has many wise men and great officials who are neither radical
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Man of Business by Honore de Balzac: poor M. Denisart has been worried into the jaundice! Yes, it has gone
to the liver, as it usually does with susceptible old men. It is a
pity he feels things so. I told him so myself; I said, "Be passionate,
there is no harm in that, but as for taking things to heart--draw the
line at that! It is the way to kill yourself."--Really, I would not
have expected him to take on so about it; a man that has sense enough
and experience enough to keep away as he does while he digests his
dinner--'
" 'But what is the matter?' inquired Mlle. Chocardelle.
" 'That little baggage with whom I dined has cleared out and left him!
. . . Yes. Gave him the slip without any warning but a letter, in
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