| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: from the house and let him do his worst. But Ruth, afraid for Richard,
bade him wait until the times were more settled. When the royal
vengeance had slaked its lust for blood it might matter little, perhaps,
what tales Sir Rowland might elect to carry.
And so Sir Rowland remained and waited. He assured himself that he knew
how to be patient, and congratulated himself upon that circumstance.
Wilding dead, a little time must now suffice to blunt the sharp edge of
his widow's grief; let him but await that time, and the rest should be
easy, the battle his. With Richard he did not so much as trouble
himself to reckon.
Thus he determined, and thus no doubt he would have acted but for an
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: most unjustifiable frauds in the world to have had it so. But the
effect upon Will Atkins is really not to be expressed; and there,
we may be sure, was no delusion. Sure no man was ever more
thankful in the world for anything of its kind than he was for the
Bible, nor, I believe, never any man was glad of a Bible from a
better principle; and though he had been a most profligate
creature, headstrong, furious, and desperately wicked, yet this man
is a standing rule to us all for the well instructing children,
viz. that parents should never give over to teach and instruct, nor
ever despair of the success of their endeavours, let the children
be ever so refractory, or to appearance insensible to instruction;
Robinson Crusoe |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Albert Savarus by Honore de Balzac: deeper in, by dint of struggling. Monsieur de Watteville had dined
heavily, digestion was in progress, and was thus checked.
When he had been undressed, washed, and put to bed, he was in such
evident danger that two servants at once set out on horseback: one to
ride to Besancon, and the other to fetch the nearest doctor and
surgeon. When Madame de Watteville arrived, eight hours later, with
the first medical aid from Besancon, they found Monsieur de Watteville
past all hope, in spite of the intelligent treatment of the Rouxey
doctor. The fright had produced serious effusion on the brain, and the
shock to the digestion was helping to kill the poor man.
This death, which would never have happened, said Madame de
Albert Savarus |
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 Tanach: 2_Kings 25: 9 And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great man's house, burnt he with fire.
2_Kings 25: 10 And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls of Jerusalem round about.
2_Kings 25: 11 And the residue of the people that were left in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the residue of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away captive.
2_Kings 25: 12 But the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.
2_Kings 25: 13 And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases and the brazen sea that were in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldeans break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.
2_Kings 25: 14 And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the pans, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.
2_Kings 25: 15 And the fire-pans, and the basins, that which was of gold, in gold, and that which was of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.
2_Kings 25: 16 The two pillars, the one sea, and the bases, which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels was without weight.
2_Kings 25: 17 The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a capital of brass was upon it; and the height of the capital was three cubits; with network and pomegranates upon the capital ro 
The Tanach |
