| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Bureaucracy by Honore de Balzac: corridors, the masculine exhalations contained in rooms without
ventilators, the odor of paper, pens, and ink; the soil he treads is a
tiled pavement or a wooden floor, strewn with a curious litter and
moistened by the attendant's watering-pot; his sky is the ceiling
toward which he yawns; his element is dust. Several distinguished
doctors have remonstrated against the influence of this second nature,
both savage and civilized, on the moral being vegetating in those
dreadful pens called bureaus, where the sun seldom penetrates, where
thoughts are tied down to occupations like that of horses who turn a
crank and who, poor beasts, yawn distressingly and die quickly.
Rabourdin was, therefore, fully justified in seeking to reform their
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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 Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe: It was in those shambles that two persons falling down dead, as they
were buying meat, gave rise to a rumour that the meat was all
infected; which, though it might affright the people, and spoiled the
market for two or three days, yet it appeared plainly afterwards that
there was nothing of truth in the suggestion. But nobody can account
for the possession of fear when it takes hold of the mind.
However, it Pleased God, by the continuing of the winter weather,
so to restore the health of the city that by February following we
reckoned the distemper quite ceased, and then we were not so easily
frighted again.
There was still a question among the learned, and at first perplexed
A Journal of the Plague Year |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde: refusing you.
LORD GORING. [After kissing her again.] Of course I'm not nearly
good enough for you, Mabel.
MABEL CHILTERN. [Nestling close to him.] I am so glad, darling. I
was afraid you were.
LORD GORING. [After some hesitation.] And I'm . . . I'm a little
over thirty.
MABEL CHILTERN. Dear, you look weeks younger than that.
LORD GORING. [Enthusiastically.] How sweet of you to say so! . . .
And it is only fair to tell you frankly that I am fearfully
extravagant.
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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 Unseen World and Other Essays by John Fiske: the great cities. At an early period of the year pestilence had
broken out. In March we find small-pox at Moorshedabad, where it
glided through the vice-regal mutes, and cut off the Prince Syfut
in his palace. The streets were blocked up with promiscuous heaps
of the dying and dead. Interment could not do its work quick
enough; even the dogs and jackals, the public scavengers of the
East, became unable to accomplish their revolting work, and the
multitude of mangled and festering corpses at length threatened
the existence of the citizens..... In 1770, the rainy season
brought relief, and before the end of September the province
reaped an abundant harvest. But the relief came too late to avert
The Unseen World and Other Essays |
