| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain: divine right of kings is not settled in this book. It
was found too difficult. That the executive head of a
nation should be a person of lofty character and
extraordinary ability, was manifest and indisputable;
that none but the Deity could select that head unerr-
ingly, was also manifest and indisputable; that the
Deity ought to make that selection, then, was likewise
manifest and indisputable; consequently, that He does
make it, as claimed, was an unavoidable deduction. I
mean, until the author of this book encountered the
Pompadour, and Lady Castlemaine, and some other
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from McTeague by Frank Norris: from a college? You haven't the right to call yourself,
'doctor.'"
McTeague stared a moment; then:
"Why, I've been practising ten years. More--nearly twelve."
"But it's the law."
"What's the law?"
"That you can't practise, or call yourself doctor, unless
you've got a diploma."
"What's that--a diploma?"
"I don't know exactly. It's a kind of paper that--that--oh,
Mac, we're ruined." Trina's voice rose to a cry.
McTeague |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from An Unsocial Socialist by George Bernard Shaw: Miss Wilson looked round. The sixth form consisted of four
studious young ladies, whose goal in life for the present was an
examination by one of the Universities, or, as the college phrase
was, "the Cambridge Local." None of them responded.
"Fifth form, then," said Miss Wilson.
Jane, Gertrude, and four others rose and stood with Agatha.
"Very well," said Miss Wilson. "Do not be long dressing."
They left the room quietly, and dashed at the staircase the
moment they were out of sight. Agatha, though void of emulation
for the Cambridge Local, always competed with ardor for the honor
of being first up or down stairs.
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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 Ancient Regime by Charles Kingsley: But who shall say that their method was not correct? That it was
not the only method? They appealed to reason. Would you have had
them appeal to unreason? They appealed to natural law. Would you
have had them appeal to unnatural law?--law according to which God
did not make this world? Alas! that had been done too often
already. Solomon saw it done in his time, and called it folly, to
which he prophesied no good end. Rabelais saw it done in his time;
and wrote his chapters on the "Children of Physis and the Children
of Antiphysis." But, born in an evil generation, which was already,
even in 1500, ripening for the revolution of 1789, he was sensual
and, I fear, cowardly enough to hide his light, not under a bushel,
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