| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Ancient Regime by Charles Kingsley: these phantasms betoken, but a generation ashamed of its own
materialism, sensuality, insincerity, ignorance, and striving to
escape therefrom by any and every mad superstition which seemed
likely to give an answer to the awful questions--What are we, and
where? and to lay to rest those instincts of the unseen and infinite
around it, which tormented it like ghosts by day and night: a sight
ludicrous or pathetic, according as it is looked on by a cynical or
a human spirit.
It is easy to call such a phenomenon absurd, improbable. It is
rather rational, probable, say certain to happen. Rational, I say;
for the reason of man tells him, and has always told him, that he is
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne: often, an' please your honour, replied the corporal--my uncle Toby gave a
nod.
It was a thousand pities then, said the corporal, casting his eye upon
Dunkirk, and the mole, as Servius Sulpicius, in returning out of Asia (when
he sailed from Aegina towards Megara), did upon Corinth and Pyreus--
--'It was a thousand pities, an' please your honour, to destroy these
works--and a thousand pities to have let them stood.'--
--Thou art right, Trim, in both cases; said my uncle Toby.--This, continued
the corporal, is the reason, that from the beginning of their demolition to
the end--I have never once whistled, or sung, or laugh'd, or cry'd, or
talk'd of past done deeds, or told your honour one story good or bad--
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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 A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift: among us, sacrificing the poor innocent babes, I doubt, more to
avoid the expence than the shame, which would move tears and pity
in the most savage and inhuman breast.
The number of souls in this kingdom being usually reckoned one
million and a half, of these I calculate there may be about two
hundred thousand couple whose wives are breeders; from which
number I subtract thirty thousand couple, who are able to
maintain their own children, (although I apprehend there cannot
be so many, under the present distresses of the kingdom) but this
being granted, there will remain an hundred and seventy thousand
breeders. I again subtract fifty thousand, for those women who
A Modest Proposal |
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 Outlaw of Torn by Edgar Rice Burroughs: moment one was disarmed, another down, and the
remaining two fleeing for their lives toward the high
road with Norman of Torn close at their heels.
Young, agile and perfect in health he outclassed them
in running as well as in swordsmanship, and ere they
had made fifty paces both had thrown away their
swords and were on their knees pleading for their lives.
"Come back to the good priest's hut, and we shall
see what he may say," replied Norman of Torn.
On the way back they found the man who had been
disarmed bending over his wounded comrade. They
The Outlaw of Torn |
