| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert: discern on it a trail of blood. Every time that Gisco wished to speak
their shouts began again. At last he descended with measured steps,
and shut himself up in his tent.
When he left it at sunrise his interpreters, who used to sleep
outside, did not stir; they lay on their backs with their eyes fixed,
their tongues between their teeth, and their faces of a bluish colour.
White mucus flowed from their nostrils, and their limbs were stiff, as
if they had all been frozen by the cold during the night. Each had a
little noose of rushes round his neck.
From that time onward the rebellion was unchecked. The murder of the
Balearians which had been recalled by Zarxas strengthened the distrust
Salammbo |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe: eventually making him a sort of overseer, with whom he might,
at times, intrust his affairs, in short absences; and, in his view,
the first, second, and third requisite for that place, was _hardness_.
Legree made up his mind, that, as Tom was not hard to his hand,
he would harden him forthwith; and some few weeks after Tom had
been on the place, he determined to commence the process.
One morning, when the hands were mustered for the field, Tom
noticed, with surprise, a new comer among them, whose appearance
excited his attention. It was a woman, tall and slenderly formed,
with remarkably delicate hands and feet, and dressed in neat and
respectable garments. By the appearance of her face, she might
Uncle Tom's Cabin |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from An Open Letter on Translating by Dr. Martin Luther: passage - namely that we are justified by faith in Christ without
any works of the Law. In fact, he rejects all works so completely
as to say that the works of the Law, though it is God's law and
word, do not aid us in justification. Using Abraham as an
example, he argues that Abraham was so justified without works
that even the highest work, which had been commanded by God, over
and above all others, namely circumcision, did not aid him in
justification. Instead, Abraham was justified without
circumcision and without any works, but by faith, as he says in
Chapter 4: "If Abraham is justified by works, he may boast, but
not before God." However, when all works are so completely
|
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 Lesser Bourgeoisie by Honore de Balzac: de la Bievre' has therefore become an effect without a cause. In such
a case, stockholders who don't like the tail end of matters, and are
not eager after small profits, very naturally prefer to sell out."
"But," asked la Peyrade, "does the paper pay its costs?"
"That," replied Lousteau, "is a point we did not consider; we were not
very anxious to have subscribers; the mainspring of the whole affair
was direct and immediate action on the ministry of commerce to obtain
a higher duty on the introduction of foreign leathers. You understand
that outside of the tannery circle, this interest was not very
exciting to the general reader."
"I should have thought, however," persisted la Peyrade, "that a
|
