| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Reign of King Edward the Third by William Shakespeare: 'Too bright a morning breeds a louring day.'
[Sound Trumpets. Enter Audley.]
But say, what grim discouragement comes here!
Alas, what thousand armed men of France
Have writ that note of death in Audley's face?
Speak, thou that wooest death with thy careless smile,
And lookst so merrily upon thy grave,
As if thou were enamored on thine end:
What hungry sword hath so bereaved thy face,
And lopped a true friend from my loving soul?
AUDLEY.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Secret Places of the Heart by H. G. Wells: talked of the rage of life in a young baby, how we drove into
life in a sort of fury, how that rage impelled us to do this
and that, how we fought and struggled until the rage spent
itself and was gone. That eddy of rage that was Sir Richmond
was now perhaps very near its end. Presently it would fade
and cease, and the stream that had made it and borne it would
know it no more.
Dr. Martineau's thoughts relaxed and passed into the picture
land of dreams. He saw the figure of Sir Richmond, going as
it were away from him along a narrow path, a path that
followed the crest of a ridge, between great darknesses,
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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 The Recruit by Honore de Balzac: the hope of marriage, furthering their cause by either letting her see
the evils they could do her, or those from which they could protect
her. The public prosecutor, previously an attorney at Caen, and the
manager of the countess's affairs, tried to inspire her with love by
an appearance of generosity and devotion; a dangerous attempt for her.
He was the most to be feared among her suitors. He alone knew the
exact condition of the property of his former client. His passion was
increased by cupidity, and his cause was backed by enormous power, the
power of life and death throughout the district. This man, still
young, showed so much apparent nobleness and generosity in his
proceedings that Madame de Dey had not yet been able to judge him.
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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 The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne: required for the construction of a new vessel. Now winter was approaching,
and the voyage would not be made before the following spring.
"We have time to get everything ready for the fine season," remarked the
engineer, who was consulting with Pencroft about these matters. "I think,
therefore, my friend, that since we have to rebuild our vessel it will be
best to give her larger dimensions. The arrival of the Scotch yacht at
Tabor Island is very uncertain. It may even be that, having arrived several
months ago, she has again sailed after having vainly searched for some
trace of Ayrton. Will it not then he best to build a ship which, if
necessary, could take us either to the Polynesian Archipelago or to New
Zealand? What do you think?"
The Mysterious Island |
