| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Gobseck by Honore de Balzac: " 'Yes,' I answered.
" 'But if it is too much, stick up for yourself, Grotius!' (a name he
jokingly gave me). 'When I ask you for thirteen per cent, it is all in
the way of business; look into it, see if you can pay it; I don't like
a man to agree too easily. Is it too much?'
" 'No,' said I, 'I will make up for it by working a little harder.'
" 'Gad! your clients will pay for it!' said he, looking at me wickedly
out of the corner of his eyes.
" 'No, by all the devils in hell!' cried I, 'it shall be I who will
pay. I would sooner cut my hand off than flay people.'
" 'Good-night,' said Daddy Gobseck.
Gobseck |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe: what does she want--a settlement? Her jointure ought to be
according to her portion; but what fortune does she bring you?'
'Nay, as to fortune,' says Robin, 'she is rich enough; I am
satisfied in that point; but 'tis I that am not able to come up
to her terms, and she is positive she will not have me without.'
Here the sisters put in. 'Madam,' says the second sister, ''tis
impossible to be serious with him; he will never give a direct
answer to anything; you had better let him alone, and talk no
more of it to him; you know how to dispose of her out of his
way if you thought there was anything in it.' Robin was a little
warmed with his sister's rudeness, but he was even with her,
Moll Flanders |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Touchstone by Edith Wharton: marry the woman one loves is easier than to give them up without
being brought appreciably nearer to such a conclusion.
Through the open door he saw young Hollingsworth rise with a yawn
from the ineffectual solace of a brandy-and-soda and transport his
purposeless person to the window. Glennard measured his course
with a contemptuous eye. It was so like Hollingsworth to get up
and look out of the window just as it was growing too dark to see
anything! There was a man rich enough to do what he pleased--had
he been capable of being pleased--yet barred from all conceivable
achievement by his own impervious dulness; while, a few feet off,
Glennard, who wanted only enough to keep a decent coat on his back
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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 Apology by Plato: wisest, who, like Socrates, knows that his wisdom is in truth worth
nothing. And so I go about the world, obedient to the god, and search and
make enquiry into the wisdom of any one, whether citizen or stranger, who
appears to be wise; and if he is not wise, then in vindication of the
oracle I show him that he is not wise; and my occupation quite absorbs me,
and I have no time to give either to any public matter of interest or to
any concern of my own, but I am in utter poverty by reason of my devotion
to the god.
There is another thing:--young men of the richer classes, who have not much
to do, come about me of their own accord; they like to hear the pretenders
examined, and they often imitate me, and proceed to examine others; there
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