The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Cavalry General by Xenophon: exposed and hiding away a portion in obscurity, you may effect your
object.[4] But if the ground nowhere admits of cover, your best course
is to form your files[5] into ranks one behind the other, and wheel
them round so as to leave intervals between each file; the troopers
nearest the enemy in each file will keep their lances erect, and the
rest low enough not to show above.
[3] Cf. Polyaen. II. i. 17, of Agesilaus in Macedonia, 394 B.C. (our
author was probably present); IV. iv. 3, of Antipater in Thessaly,
323 B.C.
[4] Lit. "steal your troopers." See "Cyrop." V. iv. 48.
[5] Lit. "form your decads (squads of ten; cf. our 'fours') in ranks
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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 Vicar of Tours by Honore de Balzac: "Why?"
"I have just learned that the Abbe Troubert is appointed vicar-general
in place of the other man, who died yesterday."
"I don't care a fig for the Abbe Troubert."
Unfortunately the Baron de Listomere (a man thirty-six years of age)
did not see the sign Monsieur de Bourbonne made him to be cautious in
what he said, motioning as he did so to a friend of Troubert, a
councillor of the Prefecture, who was present. The lieutenant
therefore continued:--
"If the Abbe Troubert is a scoundrel--"
"Oh," said Monsieur de Bourbonne, cutting him short, "why bring
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