| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Aspern Papers by Henry James: I would teach myself to wait, I declared nevertheless;
because in the first place I could not do otherwise and in
the second I had her promise, given me the other night,
that she would help me.
"Of course if the papers are gone that's no use," she said;
not as if she wished to recede, but only to be conscientious.
"Naturally. But if you could only find out!" I groaned, quivering again.
"I thought you said you would wait."
"Oh, you mean wait even for that?"
"For what then?"
"Oh, nothing," I replied, rather foolishly, being ashamed
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Concerning Christian Liberty by Martin Luther: else than that strength is made perfect in my weakness, and that
I can turn all things to the profit of my salvation; so that even
the cross and death are compelled to serve me and to work
together for my salvation. This is a lofty and eminent dignity, a
true and almighty dominion, a spiritual empire, in which there is
nothing so good, nothing so bad, as not to work together for my
good, if only I believe. And yet there is nothing of which I have
need--for faith alone suffices for my salvation--unless that in
it faith may exercise the power and empire of its liberty. This
is the inestimable power and liberty of Christians.
Nor are we only kings and the freest of all men, but also priests
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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 Lysis by Plato: conceited.
Indeed, Socrates, I think not.
When I heard him say this, I turned to Hippothales, and was very nearly
making a blunder, for I was going to say to him: That is the way,
Hippothales, in which you should talk to your beloved, humbling and
lowering him, and not as you do, puffing him up and spoiling him. But I
saw that he was in great excitement and confusion at what had been said,
and I remembered that, although he was in the neighbourhood, he did not
want to be seen by Lysis; so upon second thoughts I refrained.
In the meantime Menexenus came back and sat down in his place by Lysis; and
Lysis, in a childish and affectionate manner, whispered privately in my
Lysis |
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 Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne: dilucidating it with all the light which either the collision of his own
natural parts could strike--or the profoundest knowledge of the sciences
had impowered him to cast upon it--collating, collecting, and compiling--
begging, borrowing, and stealing, as he went along, all that had been wrote
or wrangled thereupon in the schools and porticos of the learned: so that
Slawkenbergius his book may properly be considered, not only as a model--
but as a thorough-stitched Digest and regular institute of noses,
comprehending in it all that is or can be needful to be known about them.
For this cause it is that I forbear to speak of so many (otherwise)
valuable books and treatises of my father's collecting, wrote either, plump
upon noses--or collaterally touching them;--such for instance as Prignitz,
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