| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Lesson of the Master by Henry James: "Well, you must come to the wedding!" cried the General. "Oh I
remember that day at Summersoft. He's a great man, you know."
"Charming - charming!" Paul stammered for retreat. He shook hands
with the General and got off. His face was red and he had the
sense of its growing more and more crimson. All the evening at
home - he went straight to his rooms and remained there dinnerless
- his cheek burned at intervals as if it had been smitten. He
didn't understand what had happened to him, what trick had been
played him, what treachery practised. "None, none," he said to
himself. "I've nothing to do with it. I'm out of it - it s none
of my business." But that bewildered murmur was followed again and
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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 Lone Star Ranger by Zane Grey: "If Texas ever recovers from that fool war an' kills off these
outlaws, why, a young man will have a lookout," went on the
uncle. "You're twenty-three now, an' a powerful sight of a fine
fellow, barrin' your temper. You've a chance in life. But if
you go gun-fightin', if you kill a man, you're ruined. Then
you'll kill another. It'll be the same old story. An' the
rangers would make you an outlaw. The rangers mean law an'
order for Texas. This even-break business doesn't work with
them. If you resist arrest they'll kill you. If you submit to
arrest, then you go to jail, an' mebbe you hang."
"I'd never hang," muttered Duane, darkly.
The Lone Star Ranger |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The American by Henry James: If your great-grandfather were to make himself unpleasant to me,
I think I could manage him yet."
"My dear friend," said Valentin, smiling, "you can't invent
anything that will take the place of satisfaction for an insult.
To demand it and to give it are equally excellent arrangements."
"Do you call this sort of thing satisfaction?" Newman asked.
"Does it satisfy you to receive a present of the carcass of that
coarse fop? does it gratify you to make him a present of yours?
If a man hits you, hit him back; if a man libels you, haul him up."
"Haul him up, into court? Oh, that is very nasty!" said Valentin.
"The nastiness is his--not yours. And for that matter, what you
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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 Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne: shall suffer no diminution in my hands. Never, while I can
wield this sword, of which I now fling away the
scabbard--never, never, never, even if the crimson hand that
slew the great Antaeus shall lay me prostrate, like him, on the
soil which I give my life to defend."
So saying, this valiant Pygmy drew out his weapon (which was
terrible to behold, being as long as the blade of a penknife),
and sent the scabbard whirling over the heads of the multitude.
His speech was followed by an uproar of applause, as its
patriotism and self-devotion unquestionably deserved; and the
shouts and clapping of hands would have been greatly prolonged,
Tanglewood Tales |
