| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare: For Oberon is passing fell and wrath,
Because that she, as her attendant, hath
A louely boy stolne from an Indian King,
She neuer had so sweet a changeling,
And iealous Oberon would haue the childe
Knight of his traine, to trace the Forrests wilde.
But she (perforce) with-holds the loued boy,
Crownes him with flowers, and makes him all her ioy.
And now they neuer meete in groue, or greene,
By fountaine cleere, or spangled star-light sheene,
But they do square, that all their Elues for feare
A Midsummer Night's Dream |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Essays of Travel by Robert Louis Stevenson: addresses, and came bareheaded into the rain to point me out a
restaurant, where I might lunch, nor even then did he seem to think
that he had done enough. These are (it is as well to be bold in
statement) the manners of America. It is this same opposition that
has most struck me in people of almost all classes and from east to
west. By the time a man had about strung me up to be the death of
him by his insulting behaviour, he himself would be just upon the
point of melting into confidence and serviceable attentions. Yet I
suspect, although I have met with the like in so many parts, that
this must be the character of some particular state or group of
states, for in America, and this again in all classes, you will find
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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 Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini: "And what the devil do you propose to do, if you please?"
"I shall go to Rennes, and lay the facts before the King's
Lieutenant."
"He'll be too busy to see you." And M. de Kercadiou's mind swung
a trifle inconsequently, as weak minds will. "There is trouble
enough in Rennes already on the score of these crazy States General,
with which the wonderful M. Necker is to repair the finances of the
kingdom. As if a peddling Swiss bank-clerk, who is also a damned
Protestant, could succeed where such men as Calonne and Brienne have
failed."
"Good-afternoon, monsieur my godfather," said Andre-Louis.
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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 The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson: fire-light, with a somewhat peculiar but not unkind expression.
"Madam," he cried, thinking the laughter to have been an illusion
of his hearing, but still, from her changed looks, hoping to have
touched her heart, "madam, will not this content you? I give up
all to undo what I have done amiss; I make heaven certain for Lord
Risingham. And all this upon the very day that I have won my
spurs, and thought myself the happiest young gentleman on ground."
"O boy," she said - "good boy!"
And then, to the extreme surprise of Dick, she first very tenderly
wiped the tears away from his cheeks, and then, as if yielding to a
sudden impulse, threw both her arms about his neck, drew up his
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