| 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: against some of the castle knights in friendly battle with sword
or lance or wooden mace. In these encounters he always held his
own; and held it more than well, though, in his boyish
simplicity, he was altogether unconscious of his own skill,
address, and strength. Perhaps it was his very honest modesty
that made him so popular and so heartily liked by all.
He had by this time risen to the place of head squire or chief
bachelor, holding the same position that Walter Blunt had
occupied when he himself had first come, a raw country boy, to
Devlen. The lesser squires and pages fairly worshipped him as a
hero, albeit imposing upon his good-nature. All took a pride in
Men of Iron |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Travels of Sir John Mandeville by Sir John Mandeville: husbands be dead, they cast them also in the fire with their
children, and burn them. And they say that the fire shall cleanse
them of all filths and of all vices, and they shall go pured and
clean into another world to their husbands, and they shall lead
their children with them. And the cause why that they weep, when
their children be born is this; for when they come into this world,
they come to labour, sorrow and heaviness. And why they make joy
and gladness at their dying is because that, as they say, then they
go to Paradise where the rivers run milk and honey, where that men
see them in joy and in abundance of goods, without sorrow and
labour.
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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 Eve and David by Honore de Balzac: speak of you, you and your husband, as his guardian angels; he has
forgotten you, no doubt; but he will remember you again when
tossed by tempest, with no refuge left to him but his home. Keep
your heart for him, madame; he will need it.
"Permit me, madame, to convey to you the expression of the sincere
respect of a man to whom your rare qualities are known, a man who
honors your mother's fears so much, that he desires to style
himself your devoted servant,
"D'ARTHEZ."
Two days after the letter came, Eve was obliged to find a wet-nurse;
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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 Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain: he painstakingly examined the fingers, observing their form, proportions,
and natural manner of disposing themselves when in repose.
All this process was watched by the three spectators with
absorbing interest, their heads bent together over Luigi's palm, and nobody
disturbing the stillness with a word. Wilson now entered upon a close
survey of the palm again, and his revelations began.
He mapped out Luigi's character and disposition, his tastes, aversions,
proclivities, ambitions, and eccentricities in a way which sometimes
made Luigi wince and the others laugh, but both twins declared that
the chart was artistically drawn and was correct.
Next, Wilson took up Luigi' history. He proceeded cautiously and
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