| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Pierre Grassou by Honore de Balzac: violently thrust open by Joseph Bridau; he came like a whirlwind, his
hair flying. He showed his grand haggard face as he looked about him,
casting everywhere the lightning of his glance; then he walked round
the whole studio, and returned abruptly to Grassou, pulling his coat
together over the gastric region, and endeavouring, but in vain, to
button it, the button mould having escaped from its capsule of cloth.
"Wood is dear," he said to Grassou.
"Ah!"
"The British are after me" (slang term for creditors) "Gracious! do
you paint such things as that?"
"Hold your tongue!"
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin: it if we go on a little farther, and come back to it. For clearly
this marked insistence on the power of the true episcopate is to
make us feel more weightily what is to be charged against the false
claimants of episcopate; or generally, against false claimants of
power and rank in the body of the clergy; they who, "for their
bellies' sake, creep, and intrude, and climb into the fold."
Never think Milton uses those three words to fill up his verse, as a
loose writer would. He needs all the three;--especially those
three, and no more than those--"creep," and "intrude," and "climb;"
no other words would or could serve the turn, and no more could be
added. For they exhaustively comprehend the three classes,
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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 Cousin Betty by Honore de Balzac: actress' career a protector is indispensable from the first day of her
appearance on the boards. Our salaries do not pay half our expenses;
we must have a temporary husband. I did not value Monsieur Hulot, who
took me away from a rich man, a conceited idiot. Old Crevel would
undoubtedly have married me--"
"So he told me," said the Baroness, interrupting her.
"Well, then, you see, madame, I might at this day have been an honest
woman, with only one legitimate husband!"
"You have many excuses, mademoiselle," said Adeline, "and God will
take them into account. But, for my part, far from reproaching you, I
came, on the contrary, to make myself your debtor in gratitude--"
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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 Lesser Bourgeoisie by Honore de Balzac: her. For my part, I think this devoted friend is an intriguing
creature, who scents money, and is scheming for some future gain."
"Ah ca!" said Minard, "then you don't know the original cause of the
intimacy between Madame la Comtesse de Godollo and the Thuilliers?"
"She is a tenant in their house; she occupies the entresol beneath
their apartment."
"True, but there's something more than that in it. Zelie, my wife,
heard it from Josephine, who wanted, lately, to enter our service; the
matter came to nothing, for Francoise, our woman, who thought of
marrying, changed her mind. You must know, fair lady, that it was
solely Madame de Godollo who brought about the emigration of the
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