| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen: very queer house as Number 20? It's altogether a very odd case,
isn't it?"
"It is indeed, Austin; an extraordinary case. I
didn't think, when I asked you about my old friend, I should
strike on such strange metal. Well, I must be off; good-day."
Villiers went away, thinking of his own conceit of the
Chinese boxes; here was quaint workmanship indeed.
IV
THE DISCOVERY IN PAUL STREET
A few months after Villers'meeting with Herbert, Mr.
Clarke was sitting, as usual, by his after-dinner hearth,
The Great God Pan |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Finished by H. Rider Haggard: Something in his distinguished manner caused me to reflect upon
every peccadillo that I had ever committed, setting it in its
very worst light.
"Quite so," I answered, "quite so. Pray do not mention the
matter any more, although--" These words seemed to jerk
themselves out of my throat, "you did call each other by such
very hard names."
"I daresay," he answered with a vacant smile, "but if so they
meant nothing."
"No, I understand, just like a lovers' quarrel. But look here,
you left some diamonds on the table which I took to keep the
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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 American Notes by Rudyard Kipling: flagging under foot.
A cab-driver volunteered to show me the glory of the town for so
much an hour, and with him I wandered far. He conceived that all
this turmoil and squash was a thing to be reverently admired,
that it was good to huddle men together in fifteen layers, one
atop of the other, and to dig holes in the ground for offices.
He said that Chicago was a live town, and that all the creatures
hurrying by me were engaged in business. That is to say they
were trying to make some money that they might not die through
lack of food to put into their bellies. He took me to canals as
black as ink, and filled with un-told abominations, and bid me
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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 Alcibiades II by Platonic Imitator: all sorts and kinds, whom we need not stop to enumerate. All have their
distinct employments and all are workmen, although they are not all of them
cobblers or carpenters or sculptors.
ALCIBIADES: No, indeed.
SOCRATES: And in like manner men differ in regard to want of sense. Those
who are most out of their wits we call 'madmen,' while we term those who
are less far gone 'stupid' or 'idiotic,' or, if we prefer gentler language,
describe them as 'romantic' or 'simple-minded,' or, again, as 'innocent' or
'inexperienced' or 'foolish.' You may even find other names, if you seek
for them; but by all of them lack of sense is intended. They only differ
as one art appeared to us to differ from another or one disease from
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