| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Off on a Comet by Jules Verne: era of creation, when, under the influence of internal heat,
the waters rose in vapor to descend in deluge back upon
the world, could meteorological phenomena have been developed
with more impressive intensity.
But by the night of the 13th the tempest appeared to have spent its fury;
the wind dropped; the rain ceased as if by a spell; and Servadac,
who for the last six days had confined himself to the shelter
of his roof, hastened to join Ben Zoof at his post upon the cliff.
Now, he thought, there might be a chance of solving his perplexity;
perhaps now the huge disc, of which he had had an imperfect glimpse
on the night of the 31st of December, might again reveal itself;
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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 Economist by Xenophon: husbandry[18]--the lesson of mutual assistance. "Shoulder to shoulder"
must we march to meet the invader;[19] "shoulder to shoulder" stand to
compass the tillage of the soil. Therefore it is that the husbandman,
who means to win in his avocation, must see that he creates enthusiasm
in his workpeople and a spirit of ready obedience; which is just what
a general attacking an enemy will scheme to bring about, when he deals
out gifts to the brave and castigation[20] to those who are
disorderly.
[18] Lit. "But again, husbandry trains up her scholars side by side in
lessons of . . ."
[19] {sun anthropois}, "man with his fellow-man," is the "mot d'order"
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