| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Mad King by Edgar Rice Burroughs: hundred years before had these things been done other
than as a part of the ceremonials of a fete day, or in honor
of visiting royalty.
At the challenge from the gate Barney replied that he
bore a message for the prince. Slowly the portcullis sank
into position across the moat and an officer advanced to
meet the rider.
"The prince has ridden to Lustadt with a large retinue,"
he said, "to attend the coronation of Peter of Blentz to-
morrow."
"Prince Ludwig von der Tann has gone to attend the
The Mad King |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Droll Stories, V. 1 by Honore de Balzac: "There," answered the vicar, "you wrong me." The good man threw her so
angrily upon the bed, attacked and treated her so violently that she
split into pieces, and died immediately without either surgeons or
physicians being able to determine the manner in which the solution of
continuity was arrived at, so violently disjointed were the hinges and
mesial partitions. You can imagine that he was a proud man, and a
splendid vicar as has been previously stated.
The good people of the country, even the women, agreed that he was not
to blame, but that his conduct was warranted by the circumstances.
From this, perhaps, came the proverb so much in use at that time, Que
l'aze le saille! The which proverb is really so much coarser in its
Droll Stories, V. 1 |
