| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from From London to Land's End by Daniel Defoe: ships of their own. These packets bring over such vast quantities
of gold in specie, either in MOIDORES (which is the Portugal coin)
or in bars of gold, that I am very credibly informed the carrier
from Falmouth brought by land from thence to London at one time, in
the month of January, 1722, or near it, eighty thousand MOIDORES in
gold, which came from Lisbon in the packet-boats for account of the
merchants at London, and that it was attended with a guard of
twelve horsemen well armed, for which the said carrier had half per
cent. for his hazard.
This is a specimen of the Portugal trade, and how considerable it
is in itself, as well as how advantageous to England; but as that
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Desert Gold by Zane Grey: the Mexican a stunning fall. Both beast and man lay still.
Gale rushed from his cover to intercept the other raiders before
they could reach the house and their weapons. One fellow yelled
and ran wildly in the opposite direction; the other stood stricken
in his tracks. Gale ran in close and picked up the gun that had
dropped from the raider leader's hand. This fellow had begun to
stir, to come out of his stunned condition. Then the frightened
horses burst the corral bars, and in a thundering, dust-mantled
stream fled up the arroyo.
The fallen raider sat up, mumbling to his saints in one breath,
cursing in his next. The other Mexican kept his stand, intimidated
Desert Gold |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis: scratching its varnish off." Mrs. Babbitt said abstractedly, "Snoway talkcher
father." Babbitt raged, "If you're too much of a high-class gentleman, and you
belong to the bon ton and so on, why, you needn't take the car out this
evening." Ted explained, "I didn't mean--" and dinner dragged on with normal
domestic delight to the inevitable point at which Babbitt protested, "Come,
come now, we can't sit here all evening. Give the girl a chance to clear away
the table."
He was fretting, "What a family! I don't know how we all get to scrapping
this way. Like to go off some place and be able to hear myself think.... Paul
... Maine ... Wear old pants, and loaf, and cuss." He said cautiously to his
wife, "I've been in correspondence with a man in New York--wants me to see him
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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 Boys' Life of Abraham Lincoln by Helen Nicolay: goats and Father are very well." Then, as the weight of care
rolled back upon this greathearted, patient man, he added, with
humorous weariness, "especially the goats."
Mr. Lincoln was so forgetful of self as to be absolutely without
personal fear. He not only paid no attention to the threats which
were constantly made against his life, but when, on July 11,
1864, the Confederate General Early appeared suddenly and
unexpectedly before the city with a force of 17,000 men, and
Washington was for two days actually in danger of assault and
capture, his unconcern gave his friends great uneasiness. On the
tenth he rode out, as was his custom, to spend the night at the
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