| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Land of Footprints by Stewart Edward White: sing-sing leaped high in the air and plunged over the edge of the
bench. I signalled the camp-in plain sight-to come and get the
head and meat, and sat down to wait. And while waiting, I looked
out on a scene that has since been to me one of my four
symbolizations of Africa.
The morning was dull, with gray clouds through which at wide
intervals streamed broad bands of misty light. Below me the cliff
fell away clear to a gorge in the depths of which flowed a river.
Then the land began to rise, broken, sharp, tumbled, terrible,
tier after tier, gorge after gorge, one twisted range after the
other, across a breathlessly immeasurable distance. The prospect
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Astoria by Washington Irving: showed them the lurking hostility cherished by the savages, who
had too long been taught by the French to regard them as enemies.
It was not until the year 1766, that the trade regained its old
channels; but it was then pursued with much avidity and emulation
by individual merchants, and soon transcended its former bounds.
Expeditions were fitted out by various persons from Montreal and
Michilimackinac, and rivalships and jealousies of course ensued.
The trade was injured by their artifices to outbid and undermine
each other; the Indians were debauched by the sale of spirituous
liquors, which had been prohibited under the French rule. Scenes
of drunkeness, brutality, and brawl were the consequence, in the
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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 Historical Lecturers and Essays by Charles Kingsley: impossible, under free and enlightened institutions, is anything so
base and so absurd as went on, even in despotic France before the
Revolution of 1793. Well, that would be on the whole true, thank
God; but what need is there to say it?
Let us keep our scorn for our own weaknesses, our blame for our own
sins, certain that we shall gain more instruction, though not more
amusement, by hunting out the good which is in anything than by
hunting out its evil. I have chosen, not the worst, but the best
despotism which I could find in history, founded and ruled by a
truly heroic personage, one whose name has become a proverb and a
legend, that so I might lift up your minds, even by the
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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 Under the Red Robe by Stanley Weyman: unnatural even in my own ears, 'do you believe this of me?'
She started violently, and turned.
'Pardon, Monsieur!' she murmured, passing her hand over her
brow; 'I had forgotten that you were here. Do I believe what?'
'What that man said of me,' I muttered.
'That!' she exclaimed. And then she stood a moment gazing at me
in a strange fashion. 'Do I believe that, Monsieur? But come,
come!' she continued impetuously. 'Come, and I will show you if
I believe it. But not here.'
She turned as she spoke, and led the way on the instant into the
house through the parlour door, which stood half open. The room
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