| 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: quod rursus minuente aestu naves in vadis adflictarentur. Ita utraque re
oppidorum oppugnatio impediebatur. Ac si quando magnitudine operis forte
superati, extruso mari aggere ac molibus atque his oppidi moenibus
adaequatis, suis fortunis desperare coeperant, magno numero navium
adpulso, cuius rei summam facultatem habebant, omnia sua deportabant seque
in proxima oppida recipiebant: ibi se rursus isdem oportunitatibus loci
defendebant. Haec eo facilius Inagnaln partem aestatis faciebant quod
nostrae naves tempestatibus detinebantur summaque erat vasto atque aperto
mari, rnagnis aestibus, raris ac prope nullis portibus difficultas
navigandi.
Namque ipsorum naves ad hunc modum factae armataeque erant: carinae
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Collection of Antiquities by Honore de Balzac: Emile Blondet found support in a friendship with a Mlle. de
Troisville, whom he had known before her marriage with the Comte de
Montcornet. His mother was living when the Troisvilles came back after
the emigration; she was related to the family, distantly it is true,
but the connection was close enough to allow her to introduce Emile to
the house. She, poor woman, foresaw the future. She knew that when she
died her son would lose both mother and father, a thought which made
death doubly bitter, so she tried to interest others in him. She
encouraged the liking that sprang up between Emile and the eldest
daughter of the house of Troisville; but while the liking was
exceedingly strong on the young lady's part, a marriage was out of the
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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 Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum: "Why do you lay eggs, when you don't expect to hatch them?"
"It's a habit I have," replied the yellow hen. "It has always been my
pride to lay a fresh egg every morning, except when I'm moulting. I
never feel like having my morning cackle till the egg is properly
laid, and without the chance to cackle I would not be happy."
"It's strange," said the girl, reflectively; "but as I'm not a hen I
can't be 'spected to understand that."
"Certainly not, my dear."
Then Dorothy fell silent again. The yellow hen was some company, and
a bit of comfort, too; but it was dreadfully lonely out on the big
ocean, nevertheless.
Ozma of Oz |
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 Spirit of the Border by Zane Grey: rifle, and dragged it down out of sight. Quietly, with similar caution, Joe
took hold of the same root, let himself down, and when at full length swung
himself in under the ledge. His feet found a pocket in the cliff. Letting go
of the root, he took his rifle, and in another second was safe.
Of all Wetzel's retreats--for he had many--he considered this one the safest.
The cavern under the ledge he had discovered by accident. One day, being hotly
pursued by Shawnees, he had been headed off on this cliff, and had let himself
down on the ledge, intending to drop from it to the tops of the trees below.
Taking advantage of every little aid, he hung over by means of the shrub, and
was in the act of leaping when he saw that the cliff shelved under the ledge,
while within reach of his feet was the entrance to a cavern. He found the cave
The Spirit of the Border |
