| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Prince of Bohemia by Honore de Balzac: Napoleon is ready to be swayed by the woman he loves; he loses nothing
by it; but as for such as you, you believe that you are nothing
apparently, you do not wish to be ruled.--Five-and-thirty, my dear
boy,' she continued, turning to me, 'that is the clue to the riddle.--
"No," does he say again?--You know quite well that I am thirty-seven.
I am very sorry, but just ask your friends to dine at the /Rocher de
Cancale/. I /could/ have them here, but I will not; they shall not
come. And then perhaps my poor little monologue may engrave that
salutary maxim, "Each is master at home," upon your memory. That is
our character,' she added, laughing, with a return of the opera girl's
giddiness and caprice.
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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 Black Dwarf by Walter Scott: his teeth; and then again attempting a soothing tone,--"Good
Father Elshie, a most miserable creature desires some counsel of
your wisdom."
"The better!" answered the shrill and discordant voice of the
Dwarf through a very small window, resembling an arrow slit,
which he had constructed near the door of his dwelling, and
through which he could see any one who approached it, without the
possibility of their looking in upon him.
"The better!" said Hobbie impatiently; "what is the better,
Elshie? Do you not hear me tell you I am the most miserable
wretch living?"
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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 A Simple Soul by Gustave Flaubert: handkerchief; then she ate a crust of bread she had put in her basket,
and consoled herself by looking at the bird.
Arriving at the top of Ecquemanville, she saw the lights of Honfleur
shining in the distance like so many stars; further on, the ocean
spread out in a confused mass. Then a weakness came over her; the
misery of her childhood, the disappointment of her first love, the
departure of her nephew, the death of Virginia; all these things came
back to her at once, and, rising like a swelling tide in her throat,
almost choked her.
Then she wished to speak to the captain of the vessel, and without
stating what she was sending, she gave him some instructions.
A Simple Soul |
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 Koran: or thou make the sky to fall down upon us in pieces; or thou bring
us God and the angels before us; or there be made for thee a house
of gold; or thou climb up into the heaven; and even then we will not
believe in thy climbing there, until thou send down on us a book
that we may read!'
Say, 'Celebrated be the praises of my Lord! was I aught but a mortal
apostle?'
Naught prohibited men from believing when the guidance came to them,
save their saying, 'God has sent a mortal for an apostle.'
Say, 'Were there angels on the earth walking in quiet, we had surely
sent them an angel as an apostle.'
The Koran |
