| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Complete Angler by Izaak Walton: pleasant colours purposely to invite us to a joy and contentedness in
feasting with her. Whether this is a truth or not, is not my purpose to
dispute: but 'tis certain, all that write of the Umber declare him to be
very medicinable. And Gesner says, that the fat of an Umber or
Grayling, being set, with a little honey, a day or two in the sun, in a
little glass, is very excellent against redness or swarthiness, or anything
that breeds in the eyes. Salvian takes him to be called Umber from his
swift swimming, or gliding out of sight more like a shadow or a ghost
than a fish. Much more might be said both of his smell and taste: but I
shall only tell you that St. Ambrose, the glorious bishop of Milan, who
lived when the church kept fasting-days, calls him the flower-fish, or
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Dynamiter by Robert Louis Stevenson and Fanny Van De Grift Stevenson: regarded him as a person of unsound intellect, who believed
himself a member and the victim of some secret society. If
he were to hazard an opinion, he would say deceased had died
of fear.'
'And the doctor would be right,' cried Somerset; 'and my dear
Challoner, I am so relieved to hear of his demise, that I
will - Well, after all,' he added, 'poor devil, he was well
served.'
The door at this moment opened, and Desborough appeared upon
the threshold. He was wrapped in a long waterproof,
imperfectly supplied with buttons; his boots were full of
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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 Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas: your majesty permit me to speak to him?"
"Certainly."
"Can it be you, Monsieur Grimaud?" asked Parry.
"Yes, it is I," replied the tall old man, drawing himself
up, but without losing his respectful demeanor.
"Sire," then said Parry, "I was not deceived. This good man
is the servant of the Comte de la Fere, and the Comte de la
Fere, if you remember, is the worthy gentleman of whom I
have so often spoken to your majesty that the remembrance of
him must remain, not only in your mind, but in your heart."
"He who assisted my father at his last moments?" asked
Ten Years Later |
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 Boys' Life of Abraham Lincoln by Helen Nicolay: himself and his administration to accept loyally the verdict of
the people if it should be against them, and to do their utmost
to save the Union in the brief remainder of his term of office.
He gave no hint to any member of his cabinet of the nature of the
paper thus signed until after his reelection.
The Democratic convention finally came together in Chicago on
August 29. It declared the war a failure, and that efforts ought
to be made at once to bring it to a close, and nominated General
McClellan for President McClellan's only chance of success lay in
his war record. His position as a candidate on a platform of
dishonorable peace would have been no less desperate than
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