| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: prayers at his intention at the half-past six mass, the brave
gentleman. That maid of my sister Rita was upstairs watching him
drive away with her evil eyes, but I made a sign of the cross after
the fiacre, and then I went upstairs and banged at your door, my
dear kind young Monsieur, and shouted to Rita that she had no right
to lock herself in any of my locataires' rooms. At last she opened
it - and what do you think? All her hair was loose over her
shoulders. I suppose it all came down when she flung her hat on
your bed. I noticed when she arrived that her hair wasn't done
properly. She used your brushes to do it up again in front of your
glass."
The Arrow of Gold |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Koran: Do ye not see those to whom it is said, 'Restrain your hands, and be
steadfast in prayer and give alms;' and when it is prescribed for them
to fight then a band of them fear men, as though it were the fear of
God or a still stronger fear, and they say, 'O our Lord! why hast thou
prescribed for us to fight, couldst thou not let us abide till our
near appointed time?' Say, 'The enjoyment of this world is but slight,
and the next is better for him who fears;'- but they shall not be
wronged a straw.
Wheresoe'er ye be death will overtake you, though ye were in lofty
towers. And if a good thing befall them, they say, 'This is from God,'
but if a bad thing, they say, 'This is from thee.' Say, 'It is all
The Koran |
