| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Historical Lecturers and Essays by Charles Kingsley: cities is bad enough still. It must have been horrible in those
days of barbarism and misrule. Dysentery was epidemic at Toulouse
then, and Rondelet took it. He knew from the first that he should
die. He was worn out, it is said, by over-exertion; by sorrow for
the miseries of the land; by fruitless struggles to keep the peace,
and to strive for moderation in days when men were all immoderate.
But he rode away a day's journey--he took two days over it, so weak
he was--in the blazing July sun, to a friend's sick wife at
Realmont, and there took to his bed, and died a good man's death.
The details of his death and last illness were written and published
by his cousin Claude Formy; and well worth reading they are to any
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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 Sarrasine by Honore de Balzac: short skirts, and the pointed, high-heeled slippers of Louis XV.'s
time contributed somewhat, I fancy, to the demoralization of Europe
and the clergy."
"Somewhat!" exclaimed the marchioness. "Have you read nothing, pray?"
"La Zambinella," I continued, smiling, "had boldly crossed her legs,
and as she prattled swung the upper one, a duchess' attitude very well
suited to her capricious type of beauty, overflowing with a certain
attractive suppleness. She had laid aside her stage costume, and wore
a waist which outlined a slender figure, displayed to the best
advantage by a /panier/ and a satin dress embroidered with blue
flowers. Her breast, whose treasures were concealed by a coquettish
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