| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Critias by Plato: surrounding basin of the sea is everywhere deep in the neighbourhood of the
shore. Many great deluges have taken place during the nine thousand years,
for that is the number of years which have elapsed since the time of which
I am speaking; and during all this time and through so many changes, there
has never been any considerable accumulation of the soil coming down from
the mountains, as in other places, but the earth has fallen away all round
and sunk out of sight. The consequence is, that in comparison of what then
was, there are remaining only the bones of the wasted body, as they may be
called, as in the case of small islands, all the richer and softer parts of
the soil having fallen away, and the mere skeleton of the land being left.
But in the primitive state of the country, its mountains were high hills
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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 Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart: Sam," she said, and rose. "It must be very late: Sam is home. We
would better go back to the house."
"Don't," I begged her. "Anchovies and juleps and Sam will go on
for ever, and I have you such a little time. I suppose I am only
one of a dozen or so, but - you are the only girl in the world. You
know I love you, don't you, dear?"
Sam was whistling, an irritating bird call, over and over. She
pursed her red lips and answered him in kind. It was more than
I could endure.
"Sam or no Sam," I said firmly, "I am going to kiss you!"
But Sam's voice came strident through the megaphone. "Be good, you
The Man in Lower Ten |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Across The Plains by Robert Louis Stevenson: in their confusion, and the great plain that contrives to be
decorative in its emptiness.
II
In spite of its really considerable extent, the forest of
Fontainebleau is hardly anywhere tedious. I know the whole western
side of it with what, I suppose, I may call thoroughness; well
enough at least to testify that there is no square mile without
some special character and charm. Such quarters, for instance, as
the Long Rocher, the Bas-Breau, and the Reine Blanche, might be a
hundred miles apart; they have scarce a point in common beyond the
silence of the birds. The two last are really conterminous; and in
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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 Dynamiter by Robert Louis Stevenson and Fanny Van De Grift Stevenson: stamps, you must be well aware it is impossible for me to
pass the ocean.'
'For me,' said Somerset, 'you have now ceased to be a man.
You have no more claim upon me than a door scraper; but the
touching confusion of your mind disarms me from extremities.
Until to-day, I always thought stupidity was funny; I now
know otherwise; and when I look upon your idiot face,
laughter rises within me like a deadly sickness, and the
tears spring up into my eyes as bitter as blood. What should
this portend? I begin to doubt; I am losing faith in
scepticism. Is it possible,' he cried, in a kind of horror
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