| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: the arm. "Blake has carried her off," he cried.
"Blake?" said Mr. Wilding, and wondered with a sensation of nausea was
it an ordinary running away. But Richard's next words made it plain to
him that it was no amorous elopement, nor even amorous abduction.
"He has carried her to Feversham... for her betrayal of his to-night's
plan to seize the Duke."
That stirred Mr. Wilding. He wasted no time in idle questions or idler
complainings. "How long since?" he asked, and it was he who clutched
Richard now, by the shoulder and with a hand that hurt.
"Not ten minutes ago," was the quavering answer.
"And you were at hand when it befell?" cried Wilding, the scorn in his
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Life in the Iron-Mills by Rebecca Davis: of the world having uttered its voice, what has the heart to
say? You are a philanthropist, in a small Way,--n'est ce pas?
Here, boy, this gentleman can show you how to cut korl better,--
or your destiny. Go on, May!"
"I think a mocking devil possesses you to-night," rejoined the
Doctor, seriously.
He went to Wolfe and put his hand kindly on his arm. Something
of a vague idea possessed the Doctor's brain that much good was
to be done here by a friendly word or two: a latent genius to
be warmed into life by a waited-for sunbeam. Here it was: he
had brought it. So he went on complacently:
Life in the Iron-Mills |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Memoir of Fleeming Jenkin by Robert Louis Stevenson: the marriage, the three brothers, John, Charles, and Alfred,
marching to and fro, each with his hands behind his back, and
'reasoning high' till morning; and how, like Dr. Johnson, they
would cheer their speculations with as many as fifteen cups of tea.
And though, before the date of Fleeming's visit, the brothers were
separated, Charles long ago retired from the world at Brandeston,
and John already near his end in the 'rambling old house' at
Weybridge, Alfred Austin and his wife were still a centre of much
intellectual society, and still, as indeed they remained until the
last, youthfully alert in mind. There was but one child of the
marriage, Anne, and she was herself something new for the eyes of
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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 Complete Angler by Izaak Walton: be patient, and forbear swearing, lest they be heard, and catch no fish.
And so I shall proceed next to tell you, it is certain that certain fields
near Leominster, a town in Herefordshire, are observed to make the
sheep that graze upon them more fat than the next, and also to bear
finer wool; that is to say, that that year in which they feed in such a
particular pasture, they shall yield finer wool than they did that year
before they came to feed in it; and coarser, again, if they shall return to
their former pasture; and, again, return to a finer wool, being fed in the
fine wool ground: which I tell you, that you may the better believe that I
am certain, if I catch a Trout in one meadow, he shall be white and
faint, and very like to be lousy; and, as certainly, it I catch a Trout in
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