| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Talisman by Walter Scott: followers of the Crusade condescended to recruit their diminished
resources at the expense of the people of Palestine--he exacted
no gifts from the wretched natives for sparing their possessions
when engaged in warfare with the Saracens, and he had not availed
himself of any opportunity of enriching himself by the ransom of
prisoners of consequence. The small train which had followed him
from his native country had been gradually diminished, as the
means of maintaining them disappeared, and his only remaining
squire was at present on a sick-bed, and unable to attend his
master, who travelled, as we have seen, singly and alone. This
was of little consequence to the Crusader, who was accustomed to
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde: distress you, that terribly distresses me. Yesterday evening you
wrote me a very beautiful, womanly letter, asking me for my help.
You wrote to me as one of your oldest friends, one of your husband's
oldest friends. Mrs. Cheveley stole that letter from my rooms.
LADY CHILTERN. Well, what use is it to her? Why should she not have
it?
LORD GORING. [Rising.] Lady Chiltern, I will be quite frank with
you. Mrs. Cheveley puts a certain construction on that letter and
proposes to send it to your husband.
LADY CHILTERN. But what construction could she put on it? . . . Oh!
not that! not that! If I in - in trouble, and wanting your help,
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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 Heroes by Charles Kingsley: honey from the honeycomb.
Then sprang up through the earth, with the red fire flashing
before her, Brimo the wild witch-huntress, while her mad
hounds howled around. She had one head like a horse's, and
another like a ravening hound's, and another like a hissing
snake's, and a sword in either hand. And she leapt into the
ditch with her hounds, and they ate and drank their fill,
while Jason and Orpheus trembled, and Medeia hid her eyes.
And at last the witch-queen vanished, and fled with her
hounds into the woods; and the bars of the gates fell down,
and the brazen doors flew wide, and Medeia and the heroes ran
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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 The Brother of Daphne by Dornford Yates: Then the dressing-room door opened, and Madame came forth robed,
and the girl with her, looking as right as rain.
"That was my call," said our hostess. "I go to sing now. By the
time you have finished, I shall be back, and then, later, if you
would like to sit in a box for a little while, it will be quiet
for you both. Come, Yvonne."
She swept out of the room. Yvonne closed the door behind her.
"I like her," said I.
"She's a dear," said my companion.
"I like you, too," said I.
She swept me a curtsey.
The Brother of Daphne |
