| 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: and stomacher of the same. The Duchess of Sutherland close by her
side with her ducal coronet of diamonds, and a little back, Lady
Douro, also, with her coronet. On the right of the throne stood the
Lord Chancellor, with scarlet robe and flowing wig, holding the
speech, surrounded by the emblems of his office; a little farther,
one step lower down, Lord Lansdowne, holding the crown on a crimson
velvet cushion, and on the left the Duke of Wellington, brandishing
the sword of State in the air, with the Earl of Zetland by his side.
The Queen's train of royal purple, or rather deep crimson, was borne
by many train-bearers. The whole scene seemed to me like a dream or
a vision. After a few minutes the Lord Chancellor came forward and
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson by Robert Louis Stevenson: think we shall grow quite fond of it. - Ever your affectionate son,
R. L. STEVENSON.
Letter: TO MRS. THOMAS STEVENSON
13 ROSENGASSE, FRANKFURT, TUESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 1872.
. . . Last night I was at the theatre and heard DIE JUDIN (LA
JUIVE), and was thereby terribly excited. At last, in the middle
of the fifth act, which was perfectly beastly, I had to slope. I
could stand even seeing the cauldron with the sham fire beneath,
and the two hateful executioners in red; but when at last the
girl's courage breaks down, and, grasping her father's arm, she
cries out - O so shudderfully! - I thought it high time to be out
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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 Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: Of the former, she spoke aloud her admiration;
and the general, with a very gracious countenance,
acknowledged that it was by no means an ill-sized room,
and further confessed that, though as careless on such
subjects as most people, he did look upon a tolerably
large eating-room as one of the necessaries of life;
he supposed, however, "that she must have been used
to much better-sized apartments at Mr. Allen's?"
"No, indeed," was Catherine's honest assurance;
"Mr. Allen's dining-parlour was not more than half as large,"
and she had never seen so large a room as this in her life.
Northanger Abbey |
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 New Poems by Robert Louis Stevenson: And smooth she rustles far and wide
Through all the voiceful countryside.
Through all the land her tale she tells;
She spins, she tosses, she compels
The kites, the clouds, the windmill sails
And all the trees in all the dales.
God calls us, and the day prepares
With nimble, gay and gracious airs:
And from Penzance to Maidenhead
The roads last night He watered.
God calls us from inglorious ease,
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