| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: it aside, and laid up for themselves everlasting blessings, and
laid hold of that life which never faileth, nor is broken by
death.
"These then are the marvellous holy men whose examples we, that
are poor and vile, strive to imitate, but cannot attain to the
high level of the life of these heavenly citizens. Nevertheless,
so far as is possible for our weakness and feeble power, we take
the stamp of their lives, and wear their habit: even though we
fail to equal their works; for we are assured that this holy
profession is a means to perfection and an aid to the
incorruption given us by holy baptism. So, following the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Facino Cane by Honore de Balzac: "I never knew a quiet moment until I had sold two-thirds of my
diamonds in London or Amsterdam, and held the value of my gold dust in
a negotiable shape. For five years I hid myself in Madrid, then in
1770 I came to Paris with a Spanish name, and led as brilliant a life
as may be. Then in the midst of my pleasures, as I enjoyed a fortune
of six millions, I was smitten with blindness. I do not doubt but that
my infirmity was brought on by my sojourn in the cell and my work in
the stone, if, indeed, my peculiar faculty for 'seeing' gold was not
an abuse of the power of sight which predestined me to lose it. Bianca
was dead.
"At this time I had fallen in love with a woman to whom I thought to
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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 Common Sense by Thomas Paine: existed before; and who can tell what may be the event? The property
of no man is secure in the present unbraced system of things. The mind
of the multitude is left at random, and seeing no fixed object before
them, they pursue such as fancy or opinion starts. Nothing is criminal;
there is no such thing as treason; wherefore, every one thinks himself
at liberty to act as he pleases. The Tories dared not have assembled
offensively, had they known that their lives, by that act, were forfeited
to the laws of the state. A line of distinction should be drawn, between,
English soldiers taken in battle, and inhabitants of America taken in arms.
The first are prisoners, but the latter traitors.
The one forfeits his liberty, the other his head.
Common Sense |
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 Market-Place by Harold Frederic: "A lady may have twice that number of callers in an
afternoon--quite as great strangers to all intents
and purposes--and not even have the satisfaction of
discovering that they had any object whatever in calling.
At least your people had some motive: the grey matter
in their brain was working. And besides, one of them
might have had something to say which you would value.
I don't think that ever happens among a lady's callers;
does it, Edith?"
Edith smiled, pleasantly and yet a little wistfully,
but said nothing.
The Market-Place |
