| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum: second-best crown upon her head, and the royal sceptre in her right hand. A
box of caramels, from which she was eating, rested in her lap, and the girl
seemed entirely at ease in her royal surroundings.
The Scarecrow stepped forward and confronted her, while the Tin Woodman
leaned upon his axe and the others formed a half-circle back of his
Majesty's person.
"How dare you sit in my throne?" demanded the Scarecrow, sternly eyeing the
intruder. "Don't you know you are guilty of treason, and that there is a law
against treason?"
"The throne belongs to whoever is able to take it," answered Jinjur, as she
slowly ate another caramel. "I have taken it, as you see; so just now I am
The Marvelous Land of Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Madame Firmiani by Honore de Balzac: The Austrian Embassy has just sent me a document which proves the
death of Monsieur Firmiani, also the will, which his valet was keeping
safely to put into my own hands. Octave, you can accept it all; you
are richer than I, for you have treasures here" (laying her hand upon
his heart) "to which none but God can add." Then, unable to support
her happiness, she laid her head upon her husband's breast.
"My dear niece," said the old man, "in my day we made love; in yours,
you love. You women are all that is best in humanity; you are not even
guilty of your faults, for they come through us."
ADDENDUM
The following personages appear in other stories of the Human Comedy.
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Apology by Xenophon: The Apology 1
On Revenues 1
The Hiero 1
The Agesilaus 1
The Polity of the Athenians and the Lacedaemonians 2
Text in brackets "{}" is my transliteration of Greek text into
English using an Oxford English Dictionary alphabet table. The
diacritical marks have been lost.
The Apology
By Xenophon
Translation by H. G. Dakyns
The Apology |
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 The Odyssey by Homer: dwelt about him in the caves along the windy heights. And
they heard the cry and flocked together from every side,
and gathering round the cave asked him what ailed him:
'"What hath so distressed thee, Polyphemus, that thou
criest thus aloud through the immortal night, and makest us
sleepless? Surely no mortal driveth off thy flocks against
thy will: surely none slayeth thyself by force or craft?"
'And the strong Polyphemus spake to them again from out the
cave: "My friends, Noman is slaying me by guile, nor at all
by force."
'And they answered and spake winged words: "If then no man
The Odyssey |
