The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from New Poems by Robert Louis Stevenson: The eve of my defeat,
Shall see me sitting as of yore
By my old master's feet.
PRELUDE
BY sunny market-place and street
Wherever I go my drum I beat,
And wherever I go in my coat of red
The ribbons flutter about my head.
I seek recruits for wars to come -
For slaughterless wars I beat the drum,
And the shilling I give to each new ally
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley: you can't keep faith without these barbarous oaths, I must take
them too, that have kept faith these three years without any."
At this pathetic appeal Frank nearly melted: but Amyas and Cary had
thrust the victim into a chair and all was prepared for the
sacrifice.
"Bind his eyes, according to the classic fashion," said Will.
"Oh no, dear Mr. Cary; I'll shut them tight enough, I warrant: but
not with your dagger, dear Mr. William--sure, not with your dagger?
I can't afford to lose blood, though I do look lusty--I can't
indeed; sure, a pin would do--I've got one here, to my sleeve,
somewhere--Oh!"
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