| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Beauty and The Beast by Bayard Taylor: manner, the mellow tones of her voice, still expressed her
unchanging goodness, yet those who met her were sure to feel, in
some inexplicable way, that to be good is not always to be happy.
Perhaps, indeed, her manner was older than her face and form: she
still attracted the interest of men, but with a certain doubt and
reserve.
Certain it is that when she made her appearance on deck, glad of
the blue sky and sunshine, and threw back her hood to feel the
freshness of the sea air, all eyes followed her movements, except
those of a forlorn individual, who, muffled in his cloak and
apparently sea-sick, lay upon one of the benches. The captain
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson: in the fore-part, I'll offer ye a change: a bottle of brandy
against two buckets of water."
That was the last clause of the treaty, and was duly executed on
both sides; so that Alan and I could at last wash out the
round-house and be quit of the memorials of those whom we had
slain, and the captain and Mr. Riach could be happy again in
their own way, the name of which was drink.
CHAPTER XII
I HEAR OF THE "RED FOX"
Before we had done cleaning out the round-house, a breeze sprang
up from a little to the east of north. This blew off the rain
Kidnapped |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Mayflower Compact: King, Defender of the Faith, &c.
Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of
the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country,
a Voyage to plant the first colony in the Northerne Parts
of Virginia; doe, by these Presents, solemnly and mutually
in the Presence of God and one of another, covenant and
combine ourselves together into a civill Body Politick,
for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance
of the Ends aforesaid; And by Virtue hereof do enact,
constitute, and frame, such just and equall Laws, Ordinances,
Acts, Constitutions, and Offices, from time to time,
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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 Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley: the huge wall of Cape Codera a thousand feet above their heads to
the left, and beyond it again, bank upon bank of mountain, bathed
in the yellow moonlight.
Morning showed them a large ship, which had passed them during the
night upon the opposite course, and was now a good ten miles to the
eastward. Yeo was for going back and taking her. Of the latter he
made a matter of course; and the former was easy enough, for the
breeze blowing dead off the land, was a "soldier's wind, there and
back again," for either ship; but Amyas and Frank were both
unwilling.
"Why, Yeo, you said that one day more would bring us to La Guayra."
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