| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: never heard of in her life! Not to do the honours of her
house with common good breeding! To behave to her guest
with such superciliousness! Hardly even to speak to her!"
"But it was not so bad as that, Isabella; there was
no superciliousness; she was very civil."
"Oh! Don't defend her! And then the brother, he,
who had appeared so attached to you! Good heavens! Well,
some people's feelings are incomprehensible. And so he
hardly looked once at you the whole day?"
"I do not say so; but he did not seem in good spirits."
"How contemptible! Of all things in the world inconstancy
Northanger Abbey |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Outlaw of Torn by Edgar Rice Burroughs: gartered with scarlet from his tiny sandals to his knees.
On the back of his brown curls sat a flat-brimmed,
round-crowned hat in which a single plume of white
waved and nodded bravely at each move of the proud
little head.
The child's features were well molded, and his frank,
bright eyes gave an expression of boyish generosity to
a face which otherwise would have been too arrogant
and haughty for such a mere baby. As he talked with
his companion, little flashes of peremptory authority
and dignity, which sat strangely upon one so tiny,
The Outlaw of Torn |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe: uncomfortable prospect beyond it, which was my case.
The good minister, whose interest, though a stranger to me,
had obtained me the reprieve, mourned sincerely for this part.
He was in hopes, he said, that I should have ended my days
under the influence of good instruction, that I should not have
been turned loose again among such a wretched crew as they
generally are, who are thus sent abroad, where, as he said, I
must have more than ordinary secret assistance from the grace
of God, if I did not turn as wicked again as ever.
I have not for a good while mentioned my governess, who
had during most, if not all, of this part been dangerously sick,
Moll Flanders |
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 Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley: which, perhaps, had never seen the light of day before since the
world was made; and as I happen to know that no man made the marks
upon that stone, we must set to work and think again for some tool
of Madam How's which may have made them.
And now I think you must give up guessing, and I must tell you the
answer to the riddle. Those marks were made by a hand which is
strong and yet gentle, tough and yet yielding, like the hand of a
man; a hand which handles and uses in a grip stronger than a
giant's its own carving tools, from the great boulder stone as
large as this whole room to the finest grain of sand. And that is
ICE.
|
