| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Eugenie Grandet by Honore de Balzac: "Alas! I wish I could, if it would give you pleasure," said the dying
woman; "but I cannot rise from my bed."
"Poor mother," said Grandet, "you don't know how I love you! and you
too, my daughter!" He took her in his arms and kissed her. "Oh, how
good it is to kiss a daughter when we have been angry with her! There,
mother, don't you see it's all over now? Go and put that away,
Eugenie," he added, pointing to the case. "Go, don't be afraid! I
shall never speak of it again, never!"
Monsieur Bergerin, the celebrated doctor of Saumur, presently arrived.
After an examination, he told Grandet positively that his wife was
very ill; but that perfect peace of mind, a generous diet, and great
Eugenie Grandet |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Maitre Cornelius by Honore de Balzac: He saw himself on a cushion at the feet of the countess, his head on
her knees in the ardor of his love; he listened to the story of her
persecutions and the details of the count's tyranny; he grew pitiful
over the poor lady, who was, in truth, the best-loved natural daughter
of Louis XI. He promised her to go on the morrow and reveal her wrongs
to that terrible father; everything, he assured her, should be settled
as they wished, the marriage broken off, the husband banished,--and
all this within reach of that husband's sword, of which they might
both be the victims if the slightest noise awakened him. But in the
young man's dream the gleam of the lamp, the flame of their eyes, the
colors of the stuffs and the tapestries were more vivid, more of love
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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 Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: that Your Grace march north to Gloucester, where our Cheshire friends
will assemble to meet us.
Colonel Matthews reminded the Duke of Andrew Fletcher's proposal that
they should make a raid upon Exeter with a view to seizing arms, of
which they stood so sorely in need.
This Mr. Wilding was quick to support. "Not only that, Your Grace,"
he said, "but I am confident that with very little inducement the
greater portion of the militia will desert to us as soon as we appear.
"What assurance can you give of that?" asked Grey, his heavy lip
protruded.
"I take it," said Mr. Wilding, "that in such matters no man can give an
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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 The Soul of the Far East by Percival Lowell: interesting as a factor. For what it betokens of these peoples in
particular may suggest much about man generally. It may mark a
stride in theory, if a standstill in practice. Possibly it may help
us to some understanding of ourselves. Not that it promises much aid
to vexed metaphysical questions, but as a study in sociology it may
not prove so vain.
And for a thing which is always with us, its discussion may be said
to be peculiarly opportune just now. For it lies at the bottom of
the most pressing questions of the day. Of the two great problems
that stare the Western world in the face at the present moment, both
turn to it for solution. Agnosticism, the foreboding silence of
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