| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Elixir of Life by Honore de Balzac: in the least comfortable wing of his palace, and very seldom left
his apartments; even Don Juan himself must first ask permission
before seeing his father. If this hermit, unbound by vows, came
or went in his palace or in the streets of Ferrara, he walked as
if he were in a dream, wholly engrossed, like a man at strife
with a memory, or a wrestler with some thought.
The young Don Juan might give princely banquets, the palace might
echo with clamorous mirth, horses pawed the ground in the
courtyards, pages quarreled and flung dice upon the stairs, but
Bartolommeo ate his seven ounces of bread daily and drank water.
A fowl was occasionally dressed for him, simply that the black
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Essays of Travel by Robert Louis Stevenson: time of his wild boyhood near Senlis, there was captured an old stag,
having a collar of bronze about his neck, and these words engraved on
the collar: 'Caesar mihi hoc donavit.' It is no wonder if the minds
of men were moved at this occurrence and they stood aghast to find
themselves thus touching hands with forgotten ages, and following an
antiquity with hound and horn. And even for you, it is scarcely in
an idle curiosity that you ponder how many centuries this stag had
carried its free antlers through the wood, and how many summers and
winters had shone and snowed on the imperial badge. If the extent of
solemn wood could thus safeguard a tall stag from the hunter's hounds
and houses, might not you also play hide-and-seek, in these groves,
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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 Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson: "My dear," said I, "what else was I to do?"
"I am not your dear," she said, "and I defy you to be calling me these
words."
"I am not thinking of my words," said I. "My heart bleeds for you,
Miss Drummond. Whatever I may say, be sure you have my pity in your
difficult position. But there is just the one thing that I wish you
would bear in view, if it was only long enough to discuss it quietly;
for there is going to be a collieshangie when we two get home. Take my
word for it, it will need the two of us to make this matter end in
peace."
"Ay," said she. There sprang a patch of red in either of her cheeks.
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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 Ursula by Honore de Balzac: economy, "they tell us the dear girl has such talent for the forte
that we are very anxious to hear her. Madame Cremiere and I are
inclined to take her music-master for our children. If there were six
or eight scholars in a class it would bring the price of his lessons
within our means."
"Certainly," said the old man, "and it will be all the better for me
because I want to give Ursula a singing-master."
"Well, to-night then, uncle. We will bring your great-nephew Desire to
see you; he is now a lawyer."
"Yes, to-night," echoed Minoret, meaning to fathom the motives of
these petty souls.
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