| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Memoir of Fleeming Jenkin by Robert Louis Stevenson: barricades, so it was supposed I should have to sleep there. The
revolters came and asked for arms, but Deluc (head-master) is a
National Guard, and he said he had only his own and he wanted them;
but he said he would not fire on them. Then they asked for wine,
which he gave them. They took good care not to get drunk, knowing
they would not be able to fight. They were very polite and behaved
extremely well.
'About 12 o'clock a servant came for a boy who lived near me, [and]
Deluc thought it best to send me with him. We heard a good deal of
firing near, but did not come across any of the parties. As we
approached the railway, the barricades were no longer formed of
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay: "There was a pause.
"'I have heard,' said I, 'that you are good at growing and ungrowing
organs?'
"'That's not enough for me. Every organ tells me the same story. I
want to hear different stories.'
"'Is it true, what men say, that your wisdom flows and ebbs in
pulses?'
"'Quite true,' replied Slofork. 'But those you had it from did not
add that they have always mistaken the flow for the ebb.'
"'My experience is,' said I sententiously, 'that wisdom is misery.'
"' Perhaps it is, young man, but you have never learned that, and
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Lock and Key Library by Julian Hawthorne, Ed.: by rotation to keep watch and ward from sunset to sunrise.
Arrangements were made toward that object by the few people who
retained possession of their senses, and for the present we
separated.
Never, in fact, did any events so keenly try the difference between
man and man. Some started up into heroes under the excitement.
Some, alas for the dignity of man! drooped into helpless
imbecility. Women, in some cases, rose superior to men, but yet
not so often as might have happened under a less mysterious danger.
A woman is not unwomanly because she confronts danger boldly. But
I have remarked, with respect to female courage, that it requires,
|
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 Mysterious Island by Jules Verne: "No, Mr. Spilett," answered Pencroft, "I will ask you to set off to-morrow
at daybreak. The wind seems to me to be likely to shift to the west, and
after having had a fair wind for coming we shall have a fair wind for
going back."
"Then do not let us lose time," said Herbert, rising.
"We won't waste time," returned Pencroft. "You, Herbert, go and gather
the seeds, which you know better than we do. While you do that, Mr. Spilett
and I will go and have a pig hunt, and even without Top I hope we shall
manage to catch a few!"
Herbert accordingly took the path which led towards the cultivated part
of the islet, while the sailor and the reporter entered the forest.
The Mysterious Island |
