| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Two Brothers by Honore de Balzac: lieutenant-colonel in a regiment then commanded by the Duc de
Maufrigneuse, solicited the honor of being ennobled. Under the
Restoration, nobility became a sort of perquisite to the "roturiers"
who served in the Guard. Colonel Bridau had lately bought the estate
of Brambourg, and he now asked to be allowed to entail it under the
title of count. This favor was accorded through the influence of his
many intimacies in the highest rank of society, where he now appeared
in all the luxury of horses, carriages, and liveries; in short, with
the surroundings of a great lord. As soon as he saw himself gazetted
in the Almanack under the title of Comte de Brambourg, he began to
frequent the house of a lieutenant-general of artillery, the Comte de
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Prince of Bohemia by Honore de Balzac: I am very sorry, but just ask your friends to dine at the /Rocher de
Cancale/. I /could/ have them here, but I will not; they shall not
come. And then perhaps my poor little monologue may engrave that
salutary maxim, "Each is master at home," upon your memory. That is
our character,' she added, laughing, with a return of the opera girl's
giddiness and caprice.
" 'Well, well, my dear little puss; there, there, never mind. We can
manage to get on together,' said du Bruel, and he kissed her hands,
and we came away. But he was very wroth.
"The whole way from the Rue de la Victoire to the boulevard a perfect
torrent of venomous words poured from his mouth like a waterfall in
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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 Historical Lecturers and Essays by Charles Kingsley: Pagan statues of the Renaissance; but this at least is certain, that
Rondelet's disciples imagined for him a monument more enduring than
of marble or of brass, more graceful and more curiously wrought than
all the sculptures of Torrigiano or Cellini, Baccio Bandinelli or
Michael Angelo himself. For they named a lovely little lilac
snapdragon, Linaria Domini Pellicerii--"Lord Pellicier's toad-flax;"
and that name it will keep, we may believe, as long as winter and
summer shall endure.
But to return. To this good Patron--who was the Ambassador at
Venice--the newly-married Rondelet determined to apply for
employment; and to Venice he would have gone, leaving his bride
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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 King James Bible: SA1 14:23 So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over
unto Bethaven.
SA1 14:24 And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had
adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until
evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people
tasted any food.
SA1 14:25 And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey
upon the ground.
SA1 14:26 And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the
honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people
feared the oath.
King James Bible |
