| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tour Through Eastern Counties of England by Daniel Defoe: intended to relieve them.
Our batteries from St. Mary's Fort and steeple, and from the north
bridge, greatly annoyed them, and killed most of their gunners and
firemen. One of the messengers who brought news to Lord Fairfax of
the defeat of one of the parties, in Kent, and the taking of Weymer
Castle, slipped into the town, and brought a letter to the Lord
Goring, and listed in the regiment of the Lord Capel's horse.
14th. The besiegers attacked and took the Hythe Church, with a
small work the besieged had there, but the defenders retired in
time; some were taken prisoners in the church, but not in the fort;
Sir Charles Lucas's horse was attacked by a great body of 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 The Time Machine by H. G. Wells: considered bad form to remark these apertures; for when I pointed
to this one, and tried to frame a question about it in their
tongue, they were still more visibly distressed and turned away.
But they were interested by my matches, and I struck some to
amuse them. I tried them again about the well, and again I
failed. So presently I left them, meaning to go back to Weena,
and see what I could get from her. But my mind was already in
revolution; my guesses and impressions were slipping and sliding
to a new adjustment. I had now a clue to the import of these
wells, to the ventilating towers, to the mystery of the ghosts;
to say nothing of a hint at the meaning of the bronze gates and
The Time Machine |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: be preserved unwavering, and that he might keep without faltering
the path of Christ's commandments. Therewith he prayed for the
clergy and all the flock, asking of God succour for them and
salvation, and all that might fitly be asked for their welfare.
Thus he prayed, and then turning said unto Barachias, "Behold,
brother, I charge thee, as the Apostle once adjured his people,
`Take heed unto thyself, and to all the flock, over the which the
Holy Ghost hath made thee king, to feed the Lord's people, whom
he hath purchased with his own blood.' And even as thou wast
before me in the knowledge of God, and didst serve him with a
pure conscience, so now also show the more zeal in pleasing him.
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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 Ferragus by Honore de Balzac: face of the whole earth, of burying the convict,--" He paused a
moment, and then added: "--of giving you a father, a father who could
press without shame your husband's hand, who could live without fear
in both your hearts, who could say to all the world, 'This is my
daughter,'--in short, to be a happy father."
"Oh, father! father!"
"After infinite difficulty, after searching the whole globe,"
continued Ferragus, "my friends have found me the skin of a dead man
in which to take my place once more in social life. A few days hence,
I shall be Monsieur de Funcal, a Portuguese count. Ah! my dear child,
there are few men of my age who would have had the patience to learn
Ferragus |
