| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Jerusalem Delivered by Torquato Tasso: And spend my days in secret cell unknow?"
Thus thought, thus mused, thus devised the maid,
And turning to the knight, at last thus said:
V
"My thoughts are full, my lord, of strange desire
Some high attempt of war to undertake,
Whether high God my mind therewith inspire
Or of his will his God mankind doth make,
Among our foes behold the light and fire,
I will among them wend, and burn or break
The tower, God grant therein I have my will
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Start in Life by Honore de Balzac: father of the candidate, who is worthy of the hurrahs which we
gave for her at dessert.
To all of which we hereby set our hands.
[Signed by all the clerks.]
Three clerks had already been deceived by the Book, and three real
"receptions of welcome," were recorded on this imposing register.
The day after the arrival of each neophyte, the little sub-clerk (the
errand-boy and "gutter-jumper") laid upon the new-comer's desk the
"Archives Architriclino-Basochiennes," and the clerks enjoyed the
sight of his countenance as he studied its facetious pages. Inter
pocula each candidate had learned the secret of the farce, and the
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