| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from In a German Pension by Katherine Mansfield: o'clock in the morning seemed absurd. So he slipped down in the chair,
leaned his elbows on the padded arms and gave himself up, for once, to idle
dreaming. "A boy? Yes, it was bound to be a boy this time..." "What's
your family, Binzer?" "Oh, I've two girls and a boy!" A very nice little
number. Of course he was the last man to have a favourite child, but a man
needed a son. "I'm working up the business for my son! Binzer & Son! It
would mean living very tight for the next ten years, cutting expenses as
fine as possible; and then--"
A tremendous gust of wind sprang upon the house, seized it, shook it,
dropped, only to grip the more tightly. The waves swelled up along the
breakwater and were whipped with broken foam. Over the white sky flew
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: nobleman, approving of the sick man's saying, did as he said.
When the king saw and heard him, he was delighted, and beyond
measure gratified by his devotion towards him. He saw that the
accusations against his senator were false, and promoted him to
more honour and to a greater enjoyment of his confidence. But
against the monks he again raged above measure, declaring that
this was of their teaching, that men should abstain from the
pleasures of life, and rock themselves in visionary hopes.
Another day, when he was gone a-hunting, he espied two monks
crossing the desert. These he ordered to be apprehended and
brought to his chariot. Looking angrily upon them, and breathing
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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 Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War by Frederick A. Talbot: of Great Britain is the most efficient in the world, the craft
being speedy, designed and built to meet the rough weather
conditions which are experienced around these islands, and ideal
vessels for patrol and raiding duties.
So far as the British practice is concerned the waterplane is
designed to operate in conjunction with, and not apart from, the
Navy. It has been made the eyes of the Navy in the strictest
interpretation of the term. In any such combination the great
difficulty is the establishment of what may be termed a mobile
base, inasmuch as the waterplane must move with the fleet. This
end has been achieved by the evolution of a means of carrying a
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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 Contrast by Royall Tyler: My master has composed an immensely pretty gamut,
by which any lady or gentleman, with a few years'
close application, may learn to laugh as gracefully as
if they were born and bred to it.
JONATHAN
Mercy on my soul! A gamut for laughing--just
like fa, la, sol?
JEREMY
Yes. It comprises every possible display of jocu-
larity, from an affettuoso smile to a piano titter, or full
chorus fortissimo ha, ha, ha! My master employs his
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