| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad: of articulated, rapid, breathless utterance.
"`Do you understand this?' I asked.
"He kept on looking out past me with fiery, longing eyes, with a
mingled expression of wistfulness and hate. He made no answer,
but I saw a smile, a smile of indefinable meaning, appear on
his colourless lips that a moment after twitched convulsively.
`Do I not?' he said slowly, gasping, as if the words had been torn
out of him by a supernatural power.
"I pulled the string of the whistle, and I did this because I
saw the pilgrims on deck getting out their rifles with an air
of anticipating a jolly lark. At the sudden screech there was
Heart of Darkness |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Travels and Researches in South Africa by Dr. David Livingstone: the original was typed in (manually) twice and electronically compared.
[Note on text: Italicized words or phrases are CAPITALIZED.
Some obvious errors have been corrected.]
Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa.
Also called, Travels and Researches in South Africa;
or, Journeys and Researches in South Africa.
By David Livingstone [British (Scot) Missionary and Explorer--1813-1873.]
David Livingstone was born in Scotland, received his medical degree
from the University of Glasgow, and was sent to South Africa
by the London Missionary Society. Circumstances led him to try to meet
the material needs as well as the spiritual needs of the people he went to,
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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 The Two Brothers by Honore de Balzac: the hope Madame Hochon held out, that the debt to Max should be paid.
"You have done very wrong," she said to them; "repair it by future
good conduct, and Monsieur Hochon will forget it."
So, when Francois had read the letter which had been brought for
Baruch, over the latter's shoulder, he whispered in his ear, "Ask
grandpapa's advice."
"Read this," said Baruch, taking the letter to old Hochon.
"Read it to me yourself; I haven't my spectacles."
My dear Friend,--I hope you will not hesitate, under the serious
circumstances in which I find myself, to do me the service of
receiving a power of attorney from Monsieur Rouget. Be at Vatan
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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 Secrets of the Princesse de Cadignan by Honore de Balzac: delicately expressed the idea that Daniel and Michel were twin souls.
After this d'Arthez threw himself into the general conversation with
the gayety of a child, and a self-conceited air that was worthy of a
schoolboy. When they left the dining-room, the princess took
d'Arthez's arm, in the simplest manner, to return to Madame d'Espard's
little salon. As they crossed the grand salon she walked slowly, and
when sufficiently separated from the marquise, who was on Blondet's
arm, she stopped.
"I do not wish to be inaccessible to the friend of that poor man," she
said to d'Arthez; "and though I have made it a rule to receive no
visitors, you will always be welcome in my house. Do not think this a
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