| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Smalcald Articles by Dr. Martin Luther: remorse,] confess, render satisfaction, he thereby would have
merited forgiveness, and paid for his sins before God [atoned
for his sins and obtained a plenary redemption]. Thus in
repentance they instructed men to repose confidence in their
own works. Hence the expression originated, which was employed
in the pulpit when public absolution was announced to the
people: Prolong O God, my life, until I shall make
satisfaction for my sins and amend my life.
There was here [profound silence and] no mention of Christ nor
faith; but men hoped by their own works to overcome and blot
out sins before God. And with this intention we became priests
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Poor and Proud by Oliver Optic: terrors of the law. The money-lender repeated his menace, and
even went to the door, for the apparent purpose of putting it
into execution.
"Come, Katy, let us go; but I assure you I will represent this
outrage to my friend the mayor, in such a manner that entire
justice shall be done you," whispered Simon. "I cannot remain any
longer away from my business, or I would recover the watch at
once."
"O, dear! my poor mother!" sobbed Katy.
"Don't cry, my child; leave it all to me, and run home as fast as
you can. You shall have the watch again, for I will call in the
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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 Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte by Karl Marx: they are themselves shoved aside by the mass of the bourgeoisie who
justly appropriate this republic as their property. This bourgeois mass
was Royalist, however. A part thereof, the large landed proprietors,
had ruled under the restoration, hence, was Legitimist; the other part,
the aristocrats of finance and the large industrial capitalists, had
ruled under the July monarchy, hence, was Orleanist. The high
functionaries of the Army, of the University, of the Church, in the
civil service, of the Academy and of the press, divided themselves on
both sides, although in unequal parts. Here, in the bourgeois republic,
that bore neither the name of Bourbon, nor of Orleans, but the name of
Capital, they had found the form of government under which they could
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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 Montezuma's Daughter by H. Rider Haggard: the counsellor, and unrolling it, he began to read the picture
writing by the baleful light of the blazing sky and temple.
Presently, as we watched and he read, Montezuma groaned aloud, and
casting down the writing he covered his face with his hands. As it
chanced it fell near to where I stood, and I saw painted over it
rude pictures of ships of the Spanish rig, and of men in the
Spanish armour. Then I understood why Montezuma groaned. The
Spaniards had landed on his shores!
Now some of his counsellors approached him to console him, but he
thrust them aside, saying:
'Let me mourn--the doom that was foretold is fallen upon the
Montezuma's Daughter |
