| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas: that of Rosa, so much had she improved during her short
absence of seven days, --
"Be easy; your tulip is going on well."
Although these few words of Rosa's somewhat soothed the
grief of Cornelius, yet he felt not the less the irony which
was at the bottom of them. Rosa, then, was not ill, she was
offended; she had not been forcibly prevented from coming,
but had voluntarily stayed away. Thus Rosa, being at
liberty, found in her own will the force not to come and see
him, who was dying with grief at not having seen her.
Cornelius had paper and a pencil which Rosa had brought to
The Black Tulip |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Jerusalem Delivered by Torquato Tasso: The king with that cast up his hands on height,
The tears for joy upon his cheeks down pour.
"Praised," quoth he, "be Macon whom we serve,
This land I see he keeps and will preserve:
XI
"Nor shall so soon this shaken kingdom fall,
While such unconquered hearts my state defend:
But for this act what praise or guerdon shall
I give your virtues, which so far extend?
Let fame your praises sound through nations all,
And fill the world therewith to either end,
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Dracula by Bram Stoker: have been right, for I feel comfort from them already. Somehow, I do
not dread being alone tonight, and I can go to sleep without fear.
I shall not mind any flapping outside the window. Oh, the terrible
struggle that I have had against sleep so often of late, the pain
of sleeplessness, or the pain of the fear of sleep, and with such
unknown horrors as it has for me! How blessed are some people,
whose lives have no fears, no dreads, to whom sleep is a blessing
that comes nightly, and brings nothing but sweet dreams. Well, here I
am tonight, hoping for sleep, and lying like Ophelia in the play,
with`virgin crants and maiden strewments.' I never liked garlic before,
but tonight it is delightful! There is peace in its smell.
Dracula |
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 Son of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: later Korak broke through the trees into the presence of Tantor,
standing with upraised trunk, waving his great ears.
"Quick, Tantor!" shouted the ape-man, and the beast swung
him to his head. "Hurry!" and the mighty pachyderm lumbered
off through the jungle, guided by kicking of naked heels against
the sides of his head.
Toward the northwest Korak guided his huge mount, until they
came out upon the river a mile or more above the Swede's camp,
at a point where Korak knew that there was an elephant ford.
Never pausing the ape-man urged the beast into the river, and with
trunk held high Tantor forged steadily toward the opposite bank.
The Son of Tarzan |
