| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from An Old Maid by Honore de Balzac: of my old schoolmates; Monsieur de Troisville, my niece, Mademoiselle
Cormon."
"Ah! that good uncle; how well he does it!" thought Rose-Marie-
Victoire.
The Vicomte de Troisville was, to paint him in two words, du Bousquier
ennobled. Between the two men there was precisely the difference which
separates the vulgar style from the noble style. If they had both been
present, the most fanatic liberal would not have denied the existence
of aristocracy. The viscount's strength had all the distinction of
elegance; his figure had preserved its magnificent dignity. He had
blue eyes, black hair, an olive skin, and looked to be about forty-six
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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 Travels of Sir John Mandeville by Sir John Mandeville: suing; so that he hath a thousand wives or more. And he lieth
never but one night with one of them, and another night with
another; but if that one happen to be more lusty to his pleasance
than another. And therefore the king getteth full many children,
some-time an hundred, some-time a two-hundred, and some-time more.
And he hath also into a 14,000 elephants or more that he maketh for
to be brought up amongst his villains by all his towns. For in
case that he had any war against any other king about him, then
[he] maketh certain men of arms for to go up into the castles of
tree made for the war, that craftily be set upon the elephants'
backs, for to fight against their enemies. And so do other kings
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