| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Augsburg Confession by Philip Melanchthon: as, willing to labor in the field, to eat and drink, to have a
friend, to clothe oneself, to build a house, to marry a wife,
to raise cattle, to learn divers useful arts, or whatsoever
good pertains to this life. For all of these things are not
without dependence on the providence of God; yea, of Him and
through Him they are and have their being. "Evil" I call such
works as willing to worship an idol, to commit murder, etc.
They condemn the Pelagians and others, who teach that without
the Holy Ghost, by the power of nature alone, we are able to
love God above all things; also to do the commandments of God
as touching "the substance of the act." For, although nature
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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 Altar of the Dead by Henry James: said what he expected as, at the end of his waiting, he turned the
corner where for years he had always paused; simply not to pause
was a efficient cause for emotion. It was an event, somehow; and
in all their long acquaintance there had never been an event. This
one grew larger when, five minutes later, in the faint elegance of
her little drawing-room, she quavered out a greeting that showed
the measure she took of it. He had a strange sense of having come
for something in particular; strange because literally there was
nothing particular between them, nothing save that they were at one
on their great point, which had long ago become a magnificent
matter of course. It was true that after she had said "You can
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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 Rezanov by Gertrude Atherton: looked under the sloping roof of brittle leaves into
dim falling vistas, arches, arbors, caverns, a forest
in miniature with natural terraces breaking the pre-
cipitous wall of the island.
"I should like to live here," said Concha defi-
nitely.
"It would make a fine estate for summer life--or
for a honeymoon." He smiled down upon his com-
panion, who stood very tall and straight and proud
beside him. "If you conclude to marry your little
Bostonian no doubt he will buy it for you," he said.
Rezanov |
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 A Princess of Parms by Edgar Rice Burroughs: pointed to the far end of the hall.
"Zodanga has fallen," I cried. "Look!"
All eyes turned in the direction I had indicated, and
there, forging through the portals of the entranceway rode
Tars Tarkas and his fifty warriors on their great thoats.
A cry of alarm and amazement broke from the assemblage,
but no word of fear, and in a moment the soldiers and nobles
of Zodanga were hurling themselves upon the advancing Tharks.
Thrusting Sab Than headlong from the platform, I drew
Dejah Thoris to my side. Behind the throne was a narrow
doorway and in this Than Kosis now stood facing me, with
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