| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells: Woking station with the adjacent houses, and massacred an
entire battalion of the Cardigan Regiment. No details are
known. Maxims have been absolutely useless against their
armour; the field guns have been disabled by them. Flying
hussars have been galloping into Chertsey. The Martians
appear to be moving slowly towards Chertsey or Windsor.
Great anxiety prevails in West Surrey, and earthworks are
being thrown up to check the advance Londonward." That
was how the Sunday SUN put it, and a clever and remarkably
prompt "handbook" article in the REFEREE compared the affair
to a menagerie suddenly let loose in a village.
War of the Worlds |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Reign of King Edward the Third by William Shakespeare: So is it like, we shall not be subdued:
Or say this might be true, yet in the end,
Since he doth promise we shall drive him hence
And forage their Country as they have done ours,
By this revenge that loss will seem the less.
But all are frivolous fancies, toys, and dreams:
Once we are sure we have ensnared the son,
Catch we the father after how we can.
[Exeunt.]
ACT IV. SCENE IV. The same. The English Camp.
[Enter Prince Edward, Audley, and others.]
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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 Virginian by Owen Wister: daughter about trusting herself with any one of whom Mrs. Balaam
did not thoroughly approve. The good lady could never grasp that
Mrs. Balaam lived a long day's journey from Bear Creek, and that
Molly saw her about once every three months. "We have sent your
books," the mother wrote; "everybody has contributed from their
store,--Shakespeare, Tennyson, Browning, Longfellow; and a number
of novels by Scott, Thackeray, George Eliot, Hawthorne, and
lesser writers; some volumes of Emerson; and Jane Austen
complete, because you admire her so particularly."
This consignment of literature reached Bear Creek about a week
before Christmas time.
The Virginian |
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 Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde: outside the baker's door when the baker was not looking and tried
to keep himself warm by flapping his wings.
But at last he knew that he was going to die. He had just strength
to fly up to the Prince's shoulder once more. "Good-bye, dear
Prince!" he murmured, "will you let me kiss your hand?"
"I am glad that you are going to Egypt at last, little Swallow,"
said the Prince, "you have stayed too long here; but you must kiss
me on the lips, for I love you."
"It is not to Egypt that I am going," said the Swallow. "I am
going to the House of Death. Death is the brother of Sleep, is he
not?"
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