| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from My Aunt Margaret's Mirror by Walter Scott: the ranks of fashion.
Sir Philip's resolution threw his wife into agonies of terror; by
which the worthy baronet was so much annoyed, that, contrary to
his wont, he took some trouble to soothe her apprehensions, and
once more brought her to shed tears, in which sorrow was not
altogether unmingled with pleasure. Lady Bothwell asked, as a
favour, Sir Philip's permission to receive her sister and her
family into her own house during his absence on the Continent.
Sir Philip readily assented to a proposition which saved expense,
silenced the foolish people who might have talked of a deserted
wife and family, and gratified Lady Bothwell, for whom he felt
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Court Life in China by Isaac Taylor Headland: most delicious grapes, and persimmons as large as the biggest
tomato you ever saw; indeed, the Chinese call the tomato the
western red persimmon. She has mutton from the Mongolian sheep
(the finest I have ever eaten), beef, pork or lamb; chicken,
goose or duck; hare, pheasant or deer, or fish of whatever kind
she may choose. Of course these are all prepared after the
Chinese style, and be it said to the credit of their cooks that
our children are always ready to leave our own table to partake
of Chinese food.
After her meal she lingers for a few minutes over her cup of tea
and her pipe. In the meantime her cart or sedan chair is
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas: the law of primitive nations, that is, the law of
retaliation, that I have most frequently found to be
according to the law of God."
"If this law were adopted, sir," said the procureur, "it
would greatly simplify our legal codes, and in that case the
magistrates would not (as you just observed) have much to
do."
"It may, perhaps, come to this in time," observed Monte
Cristo; "you know that human inventions march from the
complex to the simple, and simplicity is always perfection."
"In the meanwhile," continued the magistrate, "our codes are
The Count of Monte Cristo |
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 Herland by Charlotte Gilman: "What on earth is a fellow to say to a regiment of old Colonels
like this?"
In all our discussions and speculations we had always
unconsciously assumed that the women, whatever else they might be,
would be young. Most men do think that way, I fancy.
"Woman" in the abstract is young, and, we assume, charming.
As they get older they pass off the stage, somehow, into private
ownership mostly, or out of it altogether. But these good
ladies were very much on the stage, and yet any one of them
might have been a grandmother.
We looked for nervousness--there was none.
Herland |
