| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from From London to Land's End by Daniel Defoe: which way soever I turn; no, though I were to oblige myself to say
nothing of anything that had been spoken of before.
I intended once to have gone due west this journey; but then I
should have been obliged to crowd my observations so close (to
bring Hampton Court, Windsor, Blenheim, Oxford, the Bath and
Bristol all into one letter; all those remarkable places lying in a
line, as it were, in one point of the compass) as to have made my
letter too long, or my observations too light and superficial, as
others have done before me.
This letter will divide the weighty task, and consequently make it
sit lighter on the memory, be pleasanter to the reader, and make my
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tono Bungay by H. G. Wells: Tono-Bungay MAY be--not QUITE so good a find for the world as
Peruvian bark, but the point is, George--it MAKES TRADE! And the
world lives on trade. Commerce! A romantic exchange of
commodities and property. Romance. 'Magination. See? You must
look at these things in a broad light. Look at the wood--and
forget the trees! And hang it, George! we got to do these
things! There's no way unless you do. What do YOU mean to
do--anyhow?"
"There's ways of living," I said, "Without either fraud or
lying."
"You're a bit stiff, George. There's no fraud in this affair,
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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 Gambara by Honore de Balzac: Prophet's interviews with the Angel Gabriel (/maestoso sostenuto/ in F
Major). The magistrates and priests, power and religion, feeling
themselves attacked by the innovator, as Christ and Socrates also
attacked effete or worn-out powers and religions, persecute Mahomet
and drive him out of Mecca (/stretto/ in C major). Then comes my
beautiful dominant (G major, common time). Arabia now harkens to the
Prophet; horsemen arrive (G major, E flat, B flat, G minor, and still
common time). The mass of men gathers like an avalanche; the false
Prophet has begun on a tribe the work he will achieve over a world (G
major).
"He promises the Arabs universal dominion, and they believe him
Gambara |
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 Horse's Tale by Mark Twain: up, but couldn't, and the soldiers gathered her up like the
tenderest women, and their eyes were wet and they were not ashamed,
when they saw her arm dangling; and so were Buffalo Bill's, and
when they laid her in his arms he said, 'My darling, how does this
come?' and she said, 'We came to save you, but I was tired, and
couldn't keep awake, and fell off and hurt myself, and couldn't get
on again.' 'You came to save me, you dear little rat? It was too
lovely of you!' 'Yes, and Soldier stood by me, which you know he
would, and protected me from the wolves; and if he got a chance he
kicked the life out of some of them - for you know he would, BB.'
The sergeant said, 'He laid out three of them, sir, and here's the
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