| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Pericles by William Shakespeare: PERICLES.
Then honour be but a goal to my will,
This day I'll rise, or else add ill to ill.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE II. The same. A public way, or platform leading to the
lists. A pavilion by the side of it for the reception of the
King, Princess, Lords, etc.
[Enter Simonides, Lords and Attendants.]
SIMONIDES.
Are the knights ready to begin the triumph?
FIRST LORD.
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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 Underdogs by Mariano Azuela: burning like a roof afire. He began to sing. He put such
feeling into his voice and such expression into the strings
that, as he finished, Demetrio turned his head aside to
hide his tears.
But Valderrama fell upon him, embraced him warmly,
and with a familiarity he showed everyone at the ap-
propriate moment, he whispered:
"Drink them! . . . Those are beautiful tears."
Demetrio asked for the bottle, passed it to Valder-
rama. Greedily the poet drank half its contents in one
gulp; then, showing only the whites of his eyes, he faced
The Underdogs |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Nada the Lily by H. Rider Haggard: There she stood, and yet she did not look at me or on her dead mate,
but at him who sat above. I saw, and crept softly behind her, then,
lifting the Watcher, I dashed him down with all my strength. The blow
fell on her neck and broke it, so that she rolled over and at once was
dead.
"Now I rested awhile, then went to the mouth of the cave and looked
out. The sun was sinking: all the depth of the forest was black, but
the light still shone on the face of the stone woman who sits forever
on the mountain. Here, then, I must bide this night, for, though the
moon shone white and full in the sky, I dared not wend towards the
plains alone with the wolves and the ghosts. And if I dared not go
Nada the Lily |
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 Night and Day by Virginia Woolf: "Our engagement is at an end," he said, with the utmost stiffness.
"Has this been arrived at by your joint desire?"
After a perceptible pause William bent his head, and Katharine said,
as if by an afterthought:
"Oh, yes."
Mr. Hilbery swayed to and fro, and moved his lips as if to utter
remarks which remained unspoken.
"I can only suggest that you should postpone any decision until the
effect of this misunderstanding has had time to wear off. You have now
known each other--" he began.
"There's been no misunderstanding," Katharine interposed. "Nothing at
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