| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Euthyphro by Plato: may remember his appearance; he has a beak, and long straight hair, and a
beard which is ill grown.
EUTHYPHRO: No, I do not remember him, Socrates. But what is the charge
which he brings against you?
SOCRATES: What is the charge? Well, a very serious charge, which shows a
good deal of character in the young man, and for which he is certainly not
to be despised. He says he knows how the youth are corrupted and who are
their corruptors. I fancy that he must be a wise man, and seeing that I am
the reverse of a wise man, he has found me out, and is going to accuse me
of corrupting his young friends. And of this our mother the state is to be
the judge. Of all our political men he is the only one who seems to me to
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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 Underground City by Jules Verne: so quick before! I am longing to get at the vein!"
"Patience, Simon!" responded the engineer. "You don't mean
to say that you think you are going to find a passage all ready
open behind that dyke?"
"Excuse me, sir," answered the old overman; "but of course I think so!
If there was good luck in the way Harry and I discovered this place,
why shouldn't the good luck go on?"
As he spoke, came the explosion. A sound as of thunder
rolled through the labyrinth of subterranean galleries.
Starr, Madge, Harry, and Simon Ford hastened towards the spot.
"Mr. Starr! Mr. Starr!" shouted the overman. "Look! the door
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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 Royalty Restored/London Under Charles II by J. Fitzgerald Molloy: intrigue. My lady, who was not judicious enough to be off with
the old love before she was on with the new, accepted Jermyn's
advances with an eagerness that gave promise of further favours.
This was highly displeasing to Howard, a brave and generous man,
who under an exterior of passive calmness concealed a spirit of
fearless courage. Though not desirous of picking a quarrel with
his rival, he was unwilling to suffer his impertinent
interference. Jermyn, on the other hand, not being aware of
Howard's real character, sought an early opportunity of insulting
him. Such being their dispositions, a quarrel speedily ensued,
which happened in this manner.
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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 Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart: "I went to bed in lower nine," I said, my mind full again of my lost
papers, "and I wakened in number seven. I was up in the night
prowling around, as I was unable to sleep, and I must have gone back
to the wrong berth. Anyhow, until the porter wakened me this morning
I knew nothing of my mistake. In the interval the thief - murderer,
too, perhaps - must have come back, discovered my error, and taken
advantage of it to further his escape."
The inquisitive man looked at me from between narrowed eyelids,
ferret-like.
"Did any one on the train suspect you of having valuable papers?"
he inquired. The crowd was listening intently.
The Man in Lower Ten |
