| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Caesar's Commentaries in Latin by Julius Caesar: Ariovistus, qui naviculam deligatam ad ripam nactus ea profugit; reliquos
omnes consecuti equites nostri interfecerunt. Duae fuerunt Ariovisti
uxores, una Sueba natione, quam domo secum eduxerat, altera Norica, regis
Voccionis soror, quam in Gallia duxerat a fratre missam: utraque in ea
fuga periit; duae filiae: harum altera occisa, altera capta est. C.
Valerius Procillus, cum a custodibus in fuga trinis catenis vinctus
traheretur, in ipsum Caesarem hostes equitatu insequentem incidit. Quae
quidem res Caesari non minorem quam ipsa victoria voluptatem attulit, quod
hominem honestissimum provinciae Galliae, suum familiarem et hospitem,
ereptum ex manibus hostium sibi restitutum videbat neque eius calamitate
de tanta voluptate et gratulatione quicquam fortuna deminuerat. Is se
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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 Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy: Had I only seen the other first--"
Here the old man's arm gave Fitzpiers a convulsive shake. "What
are you doing?" continued the latter. "Keep still, please, or put
me down. I was saying that I lost her by a mere little two
months! There is no chance for me now in this world, and it makes
me reckless--reckless! Unless, indeed, anything should happen to
the other one. She is amiable enough; but if anything should
happen to her--and I hear she is ill--well, if it should, I should
be free--and my fame, my happiness, would be insured."
These were the last words that Fitzpiers uttered in his seat in
front of the timber-merchant. Unable longer to master himself,
The Woodlanders |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving: his toilet, brushing and furbishing up his best, and indeed only
suit of rusty black, and arranging his locks by a bit of broken
looking-glass that hung up in the schoolhouse. That he might make
his appearance before his mistress in the true style of a
cavalier, he borrowed a horse from the farmer with whom he was
domiciliated, a choleric old Dutchman of the name of Hans Van
Ripper, and, thus gallantly mounted, issued forth like a knight-
errant in quest of adventures. But it is meet I should, in the
true spirit of romantic story, give some account of the looks and
equipments of my hero and his steed. The animal he bestrode was a
broken-down plow-horse, that had outlived almost everything but
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow |
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 Salome by Oscar Wilde: LE JEUNE SYRIEN. Princesse, je ne peux pas, je ne peux pas.
SALOME [souriant] Vous ferez cela pour moi, Narraboth. Vous savez
bien que vous ferez cela pour moi. Et demain quand je passerai dans
ma litiere sur le pont des acheteurs d'idoles je vous regarderai e
travers les voiles de mousseline, je vous regarderai, Narraboth, je
vous sourirai, peut-etre. Regardez-moi, Narraboth. Regardez-moi.
Ah! vous savez bien que vous allez faire ce que je vous demande.
Vous le savez bien, n'est-ce pas? . . . Moi, je sais bien.
LE JEUNE SYRIEN [faisant un signe au troisieme soldat] Faites sortir
le prophete . . . La princesse Salome veut le voir.
SALOME. Ah!
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