| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Critias by Plato: opening sufficient to enable the largest vessels to find ingress.
Moreover, they divided at the bridges the zones of land which parted the
zones of sea, leaving room for a single trireme to pass out of one zone
into another, and they covered over the channels so as to leave a way
underneath for the ships; for the banks were raised considerably above the
water. Now the largest of the zones into which a passage was cut from the
sea was three stadia in breadth, and the zone of land which came next of
equal breadth; but the next two zones, the one of water, the other of land,
were two stadia, and the one which surrounded the central island was a
stadium only in width. The island in which the palace was situated had a
diameter of five stadia. All this including the zones and the bridge,
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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 Talisman by Walter Scott: himself did not feel much gratified, said in the hearing of both,
"We minstrels, Berengaria, as thou mayest see by the bearing of
our master Blondel, pay more reverence to a severe judge like our
kinswoman than to a kindly, partial friend like thyself, who is
willing to take our worth upon trust."
Edith was moved by this sarcasm of her royal kinsman, and
hesitated not to reply that, "To be a harsh and severe judge was
not an attribute proper to her alone of all the Plantagenets."
She had perhaps said more, having some touch of the temper of
that house, which, deriving their name and cognizance from the
lowly broom (PLANTA GENISTA), assumed as an emblem of humility,
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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 The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane: pause started slowly through the woods in the
rear of the receding skirmishers, who were con-
tinually melting into the scene to appear again
farther on. They were always busy as bees,
deeply absorbed in their little combats.
The youth tried to observe everything. He
did not use care to avoid trees and branches,
and his forgotten feet were constantly knocking
against stones or getting entangled in briers.
He was aware that these battalions with their
commotions were woven red and startling into
The Red Badge of Courage |
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 Jolly Corner by Henry James: she said, "that you've been coming."
"'Known' it -?"
"Well, I've believed it. I said nothing to you after that talk we
had a month ago - but I felt sure. I knew you WOULD," she
declared.
"That I'd persist, you mean?"
"That you'd see him."
"Ah but I didn't!" cried Brydon with his long wail. "There's
somebody - an awful beast; whom I brought, too horribly, to bay.
But it's not me."
At this she bent over him again, and her eyes were in his eyes.
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