| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Little Rivers by Henry van Dyke: But it iss the life that I am fit for, and I hef my own time and my
thoughts to mysel', and that is a ferry goot thing; and then, sir,
I haf found the Pearl of Great Price, and I think upon that day and
night."
Under the black, shattered peaks of Ben Laoghal, where I saw an
eagle poising day after day as if some invisible centripetal force
bound him forever to that small circle of air, there was a loch
with plenty of brown trout and a few salmo ferox; and down at
Tongue there was a little river where the sea-trout sometimes come
up with the tide.
Here I found myself upon the north coast, and took the road
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Crito by Plato: need not separately enumerate? In questions of just and unjust, fair and
foul, good and evil, which are the subjects of our present consultation,
ought we to follow the opinion of the many and to fear them; or the opinion
of the one man who has understanding? ought we not to fear and reverence
him more than all the rest of the world: and if we desert him shall we not
destroy and injure that principle in us which may be assumed to be improved
by justice and deteriorated by injustice;--there is such a principle?
CRITO: Certainly there is, Socrates.
SOCRATES: Take a parallel instance:--if, acting under the advice of those
who have no understanding, we destroy that which is improved by health and
is deteriorated by disease, would life be worth having? And that which has
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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 Tarzan the Untamed by Edgar Rice Burroughs: the sweetness of the voice of an angel from heaven the Euro-
peans heard the sharp-barked commands of an English non-
com. Even above the roars of the lions and the screams of
the maniacs, those beloved tones reached the ears of Tarzan
and the girl at the very moment that even the ape-man had
given up the last vestige of hope.
Rolling the body of the warrior to one side Tarzan strug-
gled to his feet, the spear still protruding from his shoulder.
The girl rose too, and as Tarzan wrenched the weapon from
his flesh and stepped out from behind the concealment of
their refuge, she followed at his side. The skirmish that had
Tarzan the Untamed |
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 Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death by Patrick Henry: An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!
They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable
an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week,
or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British
guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength but
irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance
by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until
our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make
a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power.
The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a
country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy
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