| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Letters from England by Elizabeth Davis Bancroft: were very glad to meet Lord Brougham, whom we had not before seen.
Lord Brougham is entertaining, and very much listened to. Indeed,
the English habit seems to be to suffer a few people to do up a
great part of the talking, such as Macaulay, Brougham, and Sydney
Smith and Mackintosh in their day. . . . On Saturday evening, at ten
o'clock, we went to a little party at Lady Stratheden's. After
staying there three-quarters of an hour we went to Lady
Palmerston's, where were all the GREAT London world, the Duchess of
Sutherland among the number. She is most noble, and at the same
time lovely. . . . We had an autograph note from Sir Robert Peel,
inviting us to dine next Saturday, and were engaged. I hope they
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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 Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: Gustavus. For hard knocks, we had plenty of them. I was often
obliged to run my head against my old acquaintances, the Swedish
feathers, whilk your honour must conceive to be double-pointed
stakes, shod with iron at each end, and planted before the squad
of pikes to prevent an onfall of the cavalry. The whilk Swedish
feathers, although they look gay to the eye, resembling the
shrubs or lesser trees of ane forest, as the puissant pikes,
arranged in battalia behind them, correspond to the tall pines
thereof, yet, nevertheless, are not altogether so soft to
encounter as the plumage of a goose. Howbeit, in despite of
heavy blows and light pay, a cavalier of fortune may thrive
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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 Two Poets by Honore de Balzac: aristocrats' sarcasms. Lili the religious thought it a charitable deed
to use any means of enlightening Nais, and Nais was on the brink of a
piece of folly. Francis the diplomatist undertook the direction of the
silly conspiracy; every one was interested in the progress of the
drama; it would be something to talk about to-morrow. The ex-consul,
being far from anxious to engage in a duel with a young poet who would
fly into a rage at the first hint of insult under his lady's eyes, was
wise enough to see that the only way of dealing Lucien his deathblow
was by the spiritual arm which was safe from vengeance. He therefore
followed the example set by Chatelet the astute, and went to the
Bishop. Him he proceeded to mystify.
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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 Thus Spake Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche: Still stretching thyself, yawning, sighing, failing into deep wells?
Who art thou then, O my soul!" (and here he became frightened, for a
sunbeam shot down from heaven upon his face.)
"O heaven above me," said he sighing, and sat upright, "thou gazest at me?
Thou hearkenest unto my strange soul?
When wilt thou drink this drop of dew that fell down upon all earthly
things,--when wilt thou drink this strange soul--
--When, thou well of eternity! thou joyous, awful, noontide abyss! when
wilt thou drink my soul back into thee?"
Thus spake Zarathustra, and rose from his couch beside the tree, as if
awakening from a strange drunkenness: and behold! there stood the sun
Thus Spake Zarathustra |
