| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Moon-Face and Other Stories by Jack London: posted, evidently, but a short hour before he hurled himself into eternity.
This letter, which lies before me, is a narrative in his own handwriting,
linking together numerous newspaper clippings and facsimiles of letters. The
original correspondence, he has told me, is in the hands of the police. He has
begged me, also, as a warning to society against a most frightful and
diabolical danger which threatens its very existence, to make public the
terrible series of tragedies in which he has been innocently concerned. I
herewith append the text in full:
It was in August, 1899, just after my return from my summer vacation, that the
blow fell. We did not know it at the time; we had not yet learned to school
our minds to such awful possibilities. Mr. Hale opened the letter, read it,
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare: Alacke the day, hee's gone, hee's kil'd, he's dead
Iul. Can heauen be so enuious?
Nur. Romeo can,
Though heauen cannot. O Romeo, Romeo.
Who euer would haue thought it Romeo
Iuli. What diuell art thou,
That dost torment me thus?
This torture should be roar'd in dismall hell,
Hath Romeo slaine himselfe? say thou but I,
And that bare vowell I shall poyson more
Then the death-darting eye of Cockatrice,
Romeo and Juliet |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Misalliance by George Bernard Shaw: go with dignity. Johnny slings him into a chair at the writing table,
where he sits, bitterly humiliated, but afraid to speak lest he should
burst into tears]._ Thats the advantage of having more body than
brains, you see: it enables me to teach you manners; and I'm going to
do it too. Youre a spoilt young pup; and you need a jolly good
licking. And if youre not careful youll get it: I'll see to that
next time you call me a swine.
BENTLEY. I didnt call you a swine. But _[bursting into a fury of
tears]_ you are a swine: youre a beast: youre a brute: youre a
cad: youre a liar: youre a bully: I should like to wring your
damned neck for you.
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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 An International Episode by Henry James: where they spent three or four hours in their respective shower baths.
Percy Beaumont had suggested that they ought to see something of
the town; but "Oh, damn the town!" his noble kinsman had rejoined.
They returned to Mr. Westgate's office in a carriage, with their luggage,
very punctually; but it must be reluctantly recorded that, this time,
he kept them waiting so long that they felt themselves missing
the steamer, and were deterred only by an amiable modesty from dispensing
with his attendance and starting on a hasty scramble to the wharf.
But when at last he appeared, and the carriage plunged into the
purlieus of Broadway, they jolted and jostled to such good purpose
that they reached the huge white vessel while the bell for departure
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