| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Monster Men by Edgar Rice Burroughs: of your party. Mixed with the truth they told us were
strange tales of terrible monsters led by a gigantic
white man."
"The imaginings of childish minds," said the professor.
"However, why, my dear lieutenant, did you honor me by
visiting my island?"
The officer hesitated a moment before answering, his
eyes running about over the assembly as though in
search of someone.
"Well, Professor Maxon, to be quite frank," he said at
length, "we learned at Singapore the personnel of your party,
The Monster Men |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Warlord of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: Golden Cliffs that time I had freed Thuvia of Ptarth from the
dungeon of the therns, and she had taken a slender, needle-like
key from the keyring of her dead jailer to open the door leading
back into the Chamber of Mystery where Tars Tarkas fought for his
life with the great banths. Such a tiny keyhole as now defied me
had opened the way to the intricate lock in that other door.
Hastily I dumped the contents of my pocket-pouch upon the ground
before me. Could I but find a slender bit of steel I might yet
fashion a key that would give me ingress to the temple prison.
The Warlord of Mars |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from My Aunt Margaret's Mirror by Walter Scott: the situation is something new to me. If you know who we are,
you also know, sir, what brought us here."
"Curiosity to know the fate of a Scottish gentleman of rank, now,
or lately, upon the Continent," answered the seer. "His name is
Il Cavaliero Philippo Forester, a gentleman who has the honour to
be husband to this lady, and, with your ladyship's permission for
using plain language, the misfortune not to value as it deserves
that inestimable advantage."
Lady Forester sighed deeply, and Lady Bothwell replied,--
"Since you know our object without our telling it, the only
question that remains is, whether you have the power to relieve
|
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 Paradise Lost by John Milton: Of wicked sons destroyed, than I rejoice
For one man found so perfect, and so just,
That God vouchsafes to raise another world
From him, and all his anger to forget.
But say, what mean those coloured streaks in Heaven
Distended, as the brow of God appeased?
Or serve they, as a flowery verge, to bind
The fluid skirts of that same watery cloud,
Lest it again dissolve, and shower the earth?
To whom the Arch-Angel. Dextrously thou aimest;
So willingly doth God remit his ire,
Paradise Lost |
