| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Bronte Sisters: spirits: she accordingly chatted away, addressing herself almost
exclusively to me, and with the utmost assurance and familiarity,
growing the more animated and friendly the colder and briefer my
answers became. Mr. Hargrave saw that I could ill endure it, and,
looking up from his desk, he answered her questions and
observations for me, as far as he could, and attempted to transfer
her social attentions from me to himself; but it would not do.
Perhaps she thought I had a headache, and could not bear to talk;
at any rate, she saw that her loquacious vivacity annoyed me, as I
could tell by the malicious pertinacity with which she persisted.
But I checked it effectually by putting into her hand the book I
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Silverado Squatters by Robert Louis Stevenson: we knew it not, for Silverado) the steamer jumped, and the
black buoys were dancing in the jabble; the ocean breeze blew
killing chill; and, although the upper sky was still
unflecked with vapour, the sea fogs were pouring in from
seaward, over the hilltops of Marin county, in one great,
shapeless, silver cloud.
South Vallejo is typical of many Californian towns. It was a
blunder; the site has proved untenable; and, although it is
still such a young place by the scale of Europe, it has
already begun to be deserted for its neighbour and namesake,
North Vallejo. A long pier, a number of drinking saloons, 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 Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton: "How beautiful! How satisfying!" she murmured. "Perhaps now I
shall really know what it is to live."
As she spoke she felt a sudden thickening of her heart-beats, and
looking up she was aware that before her stood the Spirit of
Life.
"Have you never really known what it is to live?" the Spirit of
Life asked her.
"I have never known," she replied, "that fulness of life which we
all feel ourselves capable of knowing; though my life has not
been without scattered hints of it, like the scent of earth which
comes to one sometimes far out at sea."
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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 Kenilworth by Walter Scott: beauty; and in this, his first attempt to unite them, he
succeeded so well as at once to gratify Elizabeth's personal
vanity and her love of power. [See Note 5. Court favour of Sir
Walter Raleigh.]
His master, the Earl of Sussex, had the full advantage of the
satisfaction which Raleigh had afforded Elizabeth, on their first
interview.
"My lords and ladies," said the Queen, looking around to the
retinue by whom she was attended, "methinks, since we are upon
the river, it were well to renounce our present purpose of going
to the city, and surprise this poor Earl of Sussex with a visit.
Kenilworth |
