| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Phantasmagoria and Other Poems by Lewis Carroll: "The Good and Great must ever shun
That reckless and abandoned one
Who stoops to perpetrate a pun.
"The man that smokes - that reads the TIMES -
That goes to Christmas Pantomimes -
Is capable of ANY crimes!"
He felt it was his turn to speak,
And, with a shamed and crimson cheek,
Moaned "This is harder than Bezique!"
But when she asked him "Wherefore so?"
He felt his very whiskers glow,
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Hellenica by Xenophon: and shot down, but were quite unable to retaliate, cooped up as they
were within a palisading barely six feet high, until in desperation
they tore down their defences with their own hands, and dashed at the
enemy. These had nothing to do but to draw back from the point of
egress, and being light troops easily escaped beyond the grasp of
heavy-armed men, while ever and again, from one point of vantage or
another, they poured their shower of javelins, and at every sally laid
many a brave man low, till at length, like sheep penned in a fold, the
defenders were shot down almost to a man. A remnant, it is true, did
escape, consisting of some fifteen who, seeing the turn affairs were
taking, had already made off in the middle of the fighting. Slipping
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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 Wheels of Chance by H. G. Wells: she said.
"You who have never been out alone after dusk? Do you know what
the streets of a charming little holiday resort are like--"
"I don't care," she said. "I can go to the clergyman here."
"He's a charming man. Unmarried. And men are really more alike
than you think. And anyhow--"
"Well?"
"How CAN you explain the last two nights to anyone now? The
mischief is done, Jessie."
"You CUR," she said, and suddenly put her hand to her breast. He
thought she meant to faint, but she stood, with the colour gone
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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 Gobseck by Honore de Balzac: knowledge of it, for I should appear as a witness. The Count thanked
me with a smile of good-will.
"In the debate which followed, Gobseck showed greed enough and skill
enough to baffle a whole congress of diplomatists; but in the end I
drew up an instrument, in which the Count acknowledged the receipt of
eighty-five thousand francs, interest included, in consideration of
which Gobseck undertook to return the diamonds to the Count.
" 'What waste!' exclaimed he as he put his signature to the agreement.
'How is it possible to bridge such a gulf?'
" 'Have you many children, sir?' Gobseck asked gravely.
"The Count winced at the question; it was as if the old money-lender,
Gobseck |
