| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A treatise on Good Works by Dr. Martin Luther: First. For the first work is to believe, to have a good heart and
confidence toward God. From this flows the second good work, to
praise God's Name, to confess His grace, to give all honor to Him
alone. Then follows the third, to worship by praying, hearing
God's Word, thinking of and considering God's benefits, and in
addition chastising one's self, and keeping the body under.
But when the evil spirit perceives such faith, such honoring of
God and such worship, he rages and stirs up persecution, attacks
body, goods, honor and life, brings upon us sickness, poverty,
shame and death, which God so permits and ordains. See, here
begins the second work, or the second rest of the Third
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Man of Business by Honore de Balzac: centimes, for which they had given five hundred francs; the transfer
being made under private seal, with special power of attorney, to save
the expense of registration. Now it so happened at this juncture,
Maxime, being of ripe age, was seized with one of the fancies peculiar
to the man of fifty--"
"Antonia!" exclaimed La Palferine. "That Antonia whose fortune I made
by writing to ask for a toothbrush!"
"Her real name is Chocardelle," said Malaga, not over well pleased by
the fine-sounding pseudonym.
"The same," continued Desroches.
"It was the only mistake Maxime ever made in his life. But what would
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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 Adventure by Jack London: "Let me run you over in the Minerva," said Young.
She shook her head laughingly.
"I'm going in the whale-boat. One would think, from all your
solicitude, that I'd never been away from home before. You, Mr.
Sheldon, as my partner, I cannot permit to desert Berande and your
work out of a mistaken notion of courtesy. If you won't permit me
to be skipper, I won't permit your galivanting over the sea as
protector of young women who don't need protection. And as for
you, Captain Young, you know very well that you just left Guvutu
this morning, that you are bound for Marau, and that you said
yourself that in two hours you are getting under way again."
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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 A Book of Remarkable Criminals by H. B. Irving: freely admitted. But more serious was the evidence of Mlle.
Percillie, Auguste's mistress. She swore that on one occasion
in her presence Castaing had reproached Auguste with ingratitude;
he had complained that he had destroyed one copy of Hippolyte
Ballet's will, and for Auguste's sake had procured the
destruction of the other, and that yet, in spite of all this,
Auguste hesitated to entrust him with 100,000 francs. Asked what
he had to say to this statement Castaing denied its truth. He
had, he said, only been in Mlle. Percillie's house once, and
then not with Auguste Ballet. Mlle. Percillie adhered to the
truth of her evidence, and the President left it to the jury to
A Book of Remarkable Criminals |
