| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Koran: leave the sea in quiet-verily, they are a host to be drowned! How many
gardens and springs have they left, and corn lands and a noble
place, and comfort wherein they did enjoy themselves!
Thus-and we gave them for an inheritance to another people. And
the heaven wept not for them, nor the earth, nor were they respited.
But we saved the children of Israel from shameful woe!- from
Pharaoh; verily, he was haughty, one of the extravagant! And we did
choose them, wittingly, above the worlds; and we gave them signs
wherein was an obvious trial!
Verily, these I say, I It is but our first death, so bring our
fathers, if ye do speak the truth!'
 The Koran |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Bureaucracy by Honore de Balzac: Celestine's ambition, Rabourdin had long considered the means of
satisfying it, though he hid his hopes, so as to spare her the
tortures of uncertainty. The man was firmly resolved to make his way
in the administration by bringing a strong light to bear upon it. He
intended to bring about one of those revolutions which send a man to
the head of either one party or another in society; but being
incapable of so doing in his own interests, he merely pondered useful
thoughts and dreamed of triumphs won for his country by noble means.
His ideas were both generous and ambitious; few officials have not
conceived the like; but among officials as among artists there are
more miscarriages than births; which is tantamount to Buffon's saying
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