| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: and then departed. I never saw any of the family of De Lacey more.
"I continued for the remainder of the day in my hovel in a state of
utter and stupid despair. My protectors had departed and had broken
the only link that held me to the world. For the first time the
feelings of revenge and hatred filled my bosom, and I did not strive
to control them, but allowing myself to be borne away by the stream,
I bent my mind towards injury and death. When I thought of my friends,
of the mild voice of De Lacey, the gentle eyes of Agatha, and the
exquisite beauty of the Arabian, these thoughts vanished and a
gush of tears somewhat soothed me. But again when I reflected
that they had spurned and deserted me, anger returned, a rage of anger, and
Frankenstein |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Wrong Box by Stevenson & Osbourne: lecturer. Joseph had a kindly disposition; and yet it was not
without reluctance that he accepted this new responsibility,
advertised for a nurse, and purchased a second-hand perambulator.
Morris and John he made more readily welcome; not so much because
of the tie of consanguinity as because the leather business (in
which he hastened to invest their fortune of thirty thousand
pounds) had recently exhibited inexplicable symptoms of decline.
A young but capable Scot was chosen as manager to the enterprise,
and the cares of business never again afflicted Joseph Finsbury.
Leaving his charges in the hands of the capable Scot (who was
married), he began his extensive travels on the Continent and in
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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 Merry Men by Robert Louis Stevenson: 'Are ye wearied, lad?' she asked after a while.
'I am not so much wearied, Mary,' I replied, getting on my feet,
'as I am weary of delay, and perhaps of Aros too. You know me well
enough to judge me fairly, say what I like. Well, Mary, you may be
sure of this: you had better be anywhere but here.'
'I'll be sure of one thing,' she returned: 'I'll be where my duty
is.'
'You forget, you have a duty to yourself,' I said.
'Ay, man?' she replied, pounding at the dough; 'will you have found
that in the Bible, now?'
'Mary,' I said solemnly, 'you must not laugh at me just now. God
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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 Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War by Frederick A. Talbot: targets were provided. The one represented a military bivouac
occupying a superficies of 330 square feet, and the other a
captive balloon resembling a Zeppelin. The prizes offered were
L500, L200, and L80--$2,500, $1,000 and $400--respectively, and
were awarded to those who made the greatest number of hits. The
conditions were by no means so onerous as those imposed in the
Michelin contest, inasmuch as the altitude limit was set at 660
feet, while no machine was to descend within 165 feet. The first
competitor completely failed to hit the balloon. The second
competitor flying at 800 feet landed seven bombs within the
square, but only one other competitor succeeded in placing one
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