| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen: in fact concealed nothing at all, she could not account;
and it was so wholly contradictory to their general
opinions and practice, that a doubt sometimes entered
her mind of their being really engaged, and this doubt
was enough to prevent her making any inquiry of Marianne.
Nothing could be more expressive of attachment
to them all, than Willoughby's behaviour. To Marianne
it had all the distinguishing tenderness which a lover's
heart could give, and to the rest of the family it was the
affectionate attention of a son and a brother. The cottage
seemed to be considered and loved by him as his home;
Sense and Sensibility |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Virginian by Owen Wister: with deep silence around me.
"No; she didn't say nothing to me. But when her next child was
born, it had eight rattles."
Din now rose wild in the caboose. They rocked together. The
enthusiast beat his knee tumultuously. And I joined them. Who
could help it? It had been so well conducted from the
imperceptible beginning. Fact and falsehood blended with such
perfect art. And this last, an effect so new made with such
world-old material! I cared nothing that I was the victim, and I
joined them; but ceased, feeling suddenly somehow estranged or
chilled. It was in their laughter. The loudness was too loud. And
The Virginian |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Second Inaugural Address by Abraham Lincoln: to header material.
***
#STARTMARK#
Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
March 4, 1865
Fellow countrymen: At this second appearing to take the oath
of the presidential office, there is less occasion for an extended
address than there was at the first. Then a statement, somewhat
in detail, of a course to be pursued, seemed fitting and proper.
Now, at the expiration of four years, during which public declarations
have been constantly called forth on every point and phase of the great
Second Inaugural Address |
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 A Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: His enemies were not unprepared for his reception. Argyle, at the
head of his Highlanders, was dogging the steps of the Irish from
the west to the east, and by force, fear, or influence, had
collected an army nearly sufficient to have given battle to that
under Montrose. The Lowlands were also prepared, for reasons
which we assigned at the beginning of this tale. A body of six
thousand infantry, and six or seven thousand cavalry, which
profanely assumed the title of God's army, had been hastily
assembled from the shires of Fife, Angus, Perth, Stirling, and
the neighbouring counties. A much less force in former times,
nay, even in the preceding reign, would have been sufficient to
|
