| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by H. P. Lovecraft: at his making such an inquiry. When he saw how taciturn they had
become he asked them no more, but went to sleep in his blanket.
The next day he rose with the lava-gatherers and exchanged farewells
as they rode west and he rode east on a zebra he bought of them.
Their older men gave him blessings and warnings, and told him
he had better not climb too high on Ngranek, but while he thanked
them heartily he was in no wise dissuaded. For still did he feel
that he must find the gods on unknown Kadath; and win from them
a way to that haunting and marvellous city in the sunset. By noon,
after a long uphill ride, he came upon some abandoned brick villages
of the hill-people who had once dwelt thus close to Ngranek and
The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Familiar Studies of Men and Books by Robert Louis Stevenson: fingers. Looking round in English for a book that should
answer Thoreau's two demands of a style like poetry and sense
that shall be both original and inspiriting, I come to
Milton's AREOPAGITICA, and can name no other instance for the
moment. Two things at least are plain: that if a man will
condescend to nothing more commonplace in the way of reading,
he must not look to have a large library; and that if he
proposes himself to write in a similar vein, he will find his
work cut out for him.
Thoreau composed seemingly while he walked, or at least
exercise and composition were with him intimately connected;
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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 Sarrasine by Honore de Balzac: involuntary shudder of that thoroughly feminine temperament was
interpreted by the amorous artist as indicating extreme delicacy of
feeling. This weakness delighted the Frenchman. There is so much of
the element of protection in a man's love!
" 'You may make use of my power as a shield!'
"Is not that sentence written at the root of all declarations of love?
Sarrasine, who was too passionately in love to make fine speeches to
the fair Italian, was, like all lovers, grave, jovial, meditative, by
turns. Although he seemed to listen to the guests, he did not hear a
word that they said, he was so wrapped up in the pleasure of sitting
by her side, of touching her hand, of waiting on her. He was swimming
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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 Catherine de Medici by Honore de Balzac: the young nobleman who was later to become celebrated by his encounter
with La Renaudie, in which they both lost their lives.
"Monseigneur, a man sent by the queen's furrier is at the gate, and
says he has an ermine suit to convey to her. Am I to let him enter?"
"Ah! yes,--the ermine coat she spoke of yesterday," returned the
cardinal; "let the shop-fellow pass; she will want the garment for the
voyage down the Loire."
"How did he get here without being stopped until he reached the gate?"
asked the duke.
"I do not know," replied Pardaillan.
"I'll ask to see him when he is with the queen," thought the Balafre.
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