| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Scenes from a Courtesan's Life by Honore de Balzac: "What will you give the rabble?" said Contenson to Nucingen.
"You hafe not shown much consideration," said the Baron.
"And what about my leg?" cried Contenson.
"Louchard, you shall gife ein hundert francs to Contenson out of the
change of the tousand-franc note."
"De lady is a beauty," said the cashier to the Baron, as they left the
Rue Taitbout, "but she is costing you ver' dear, Monsieur le Baron."
"Keep my segret," said the Baron, who had said the same to Contenson
and Louchard.
Louchard went away with Contenson; but on the boulevard Asie, who was
looking out for him, stopped Louchard.
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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 Golden Sayings of Epictetus by Epictetus: yourself, and wherein your Good and Evil consists.
XXV
A man asked me to write to Rome on his behalf who, as most
people thought, had met with misfortune; for having been before
wealthy and distinguished, he had afterwards lost all and was
living here. So I wrote about him in a humble style. He however
on reading the letter returned it to me, with the words: "I asked
for your help, not for your pity. No evil has happened unto me."
XXVI
True instruction is this:-- to learn to wish that each thing
should come to pass as it does. And how does it come to pass? As
The Golden Sayings of Epictetus |
