| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Youth by Joseph Conrad: universe. I could hardly see him, but began to think he
would work himself into a fit.
"Suddenly he ceased, and I could hear him snorting and
blowing like a porpoise. I said--
"'What steamer is this, pray?'
"'Eh? What's this? And who are you?'
"'Castaway crew of an English bark burnt at sea.
We came here to-night. I am the second mate. The
captain is in the long-boat, and wishes to know if you
would give us a passage somewhere.'
"'Oh, my goodness! I say. . . . This is the Celestial
Youth |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley: and perhaps if he had it would have made little difference in the
story; for was so hot and thirsty, and longed so to be clean for
once, that he tumbled himself as quick as he could into the clear
cool stream.
And he had not been in it two minutes before he fell fast asleep,
into the quietest, sunniest, cosiest sleep that ever he had in his
life; and he dreamt about the green meadows by which he had walked
that morning, and the tall elm-trees, and the sleeping cows; and
after that he dreamt of nothing at all.
The reason of his falling into such a delightful sleep is very
simple; and yet hardly any one has found it out. It was merely
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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 The Village Rector by Honore de Balzac: "I see in this too much of calculation, my child," said the
archbishop, gravely. "Passions are still too strong in you; the one I
thought extinct is--"
"Oh! I swear to you, Monseigneur," she said, interrupting the prelate
and fixing her eyes, full of horror, upon him, "my heart is as
purified as that of a guilty and repentant woman can be; there is
nothing now within me but the thought of God."
"Monseigneur," said the rector in a tender voice, "let us leave
celestial justice to take its course. It is now four years since I
have strongly opposed this wish; it is the only difference that has
ever come between my penitent and myself. I have seen to the depths of
|
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 Almayer's Folly by Joseph Conrad: half-closed eyes still gazing into the night now made more
intense by a heavy thunder-cloud that had crept down from the
hills blotting out the stars, merging sky, forest, and river into
one mass of almost palpable blackness. The faint breeze had died
out, but the distant rumble of thunder and pale flashes of
lightning gave warning of the approaching storm. With a sigh the
girl turned towards the table.
Almayer was in his hammock now, already half asleep.
"Take the lamp, Nina," he muttered, drowsily. "This place is
full of mosquitoes. Go to sleep, daughter."
But Nina put the lamp out and turned back again towards the
Almayer's Folly |
