| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Bickerstaff-Partridge Papers by Jonathan Swift: all upon human actions, thoughts, or inclinations: And whoever
has not bent his studies that way, may be excused for thinking
so, when he sees in how wretched a manner that noble art is
treated by a few mean illiterate traders between us and the
stars; who import a yearly stock of nonsense, lyes, folly, and
impertinence, which they offer to the world as genuine from the
planets, tho' they descend from no greater a height than their
own brains.
I intend in a short time to publish a large and rational defence
of this art, and therefore shall say no more in its justification
at present, than that it hath been in all ages defended by many
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Bab:A Sub-Deb, Mary Roberts Rinehart by Mary Roberts Rinehart: otherwise. And if so, why?"
"I am alone a good deal, Carter," I said, in a wistfull manner, "as
my natural protecters are usualy enjoying the flesh pots of Egypt.
So it is natural that I should wish to be at least fortified
against trouble."
HE THEN PUT THE REVOLVER IN HIS POCKET, and remarked that he was
all the protecter I needed, and that the flesh pots only seemed
desirable because I was not yet out. But that once out I would find
them full of indigestion, headaches, and heartburn.
"This being grown-up is a sort of Promised Land," he said, "and it
is always just over the edge of the World. You'll never be as nice
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from A Prince of Bohemia by Honore de Balzac: have seen nothing like the thing that followed, not even in the
supreme touch of a great actor's art; nothing to compare with her
movement when she saw the hard eyes softened in tears; Claudine sank
upon her knees and kissed La Palferine's pitiless hand. He raised her
with his grand manner, his 'Rusticoli air,' as he calls it--'There,
child!' he said, 'I will do something for you; I will put you--in my
will.'
"Well," concluded Nathan, "I ask myself sometimes whether du Bruel is
really deceived. Truly there is nothing more comic, nothing stranger
than the sight of a careless young fellow ruling a married couple, his
slightest whims received as law, the weightiest decisions revoked at a
|
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 Adventure by Jack London: "It's Mauko," he said. "Kwaque did for him, and he crawled in
there and died. That's two accounted for. There are ten more.
Don't you think you've got enough of it?"
She nodded.
"It isn't nice," she said. "I'll go back and wait for you with the
horses."
"But you can't go alone. Take two of the men."
"Then I'll go on," she said. "It would be foolish to weaken the
pursuit, and I am certainly not tired."
The trail bent to the right as though the runaways had changed
their mind and headed for the Balesuna. But the trail still
|
