| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Men of Iron by Howard Pyle: come out from an audience with the King, with others of his
father's friends, the Earl of Alban had boasted in the anteroom,
in a loud voice, evidently intended for them all to hear, that
now that he had Falworth's fat lands, he would never rest till he
had hunted the blind man out from his hiding, and brought his
head to the block.
"Ever since then," said the Earl of Mackworth "he hath been
striving by every means to discover thy father's place of
concealment. Some time, haply, he may find it, and then--"
Myles had felt for a long time that he was being moulded and
shaped, and that the Earl of Mackworth's was the hand that was
Men of Iron |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Koran: That is something of what thy, Lord has inspired thee with of
wisdom; do not then put with God other gods, or thou wilt be thrown
into hell reproached and outcast. What! has your Lord chosen to give
you sons, and shall He take for Himself females from among the angels?
verily, ye are speaking a mighty speech.
Now have we turned it in various ways in this Koran so let them bear
in mind; but it will only increase them in aversion.
Say, 'Were there with Him other gods, as ye say, then would they
seek a way against the Lord of the throne.'
Celebrated be His praises, and exalted be He above what they say
with a great exaltation!
The Koran |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Yates Pride by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman: in lavender down the steps. This woman first kissed Eudora with
gentle fervor, then, with a sly look around and voice raised
intentionally high, she lifted the blue and white roll from the
carriage with the tenderest care. "Did the darling come to see
his aunties?" she shrilled.
The old man and the boy in the front yard heard her distinctly.
The old man's face was imperturbable. The boy grinned.
Two other women, all clad in lavender, appeared in the doorway.
They also bent over the blue and white bundle. They also said
something about the darling coming to see his aunties. Then
there ensued the softest chorus of lady-laughter, as if at some
|
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 Youth by Joseph Conrad: thought we would come down overboard, in a lump--
sticks and all--blame me if I didn't.' 'That's what I
was thinking to myself,' would answer wearily another
battered and bandaged scarecrow. And, mind, these were
men without the drilled-in habit of obedience. To an
onlooker they would be a lot of profane scallywags
without a redeeming point. What made them do it--
what made them obey me when I, thinking consciously
how fine it was, made them drop the bunt of the foresail
twice to try and do it better? What? They had no pro-
fessional reputation--no examples, no praise. It wasn't
Youth |
