| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Four Arthurian Romances by Chretien DeTroyes: concern. Each seated on a white horse, they rode rapidly toward
the camp, which was plunged in great sorrow. The whole army is
beside itself with grief, but they are altogether wrong in
supposing Cliges to be dead: hence their bitter and poignant
grief. And for Fenice, too, they are in dismay, thinking never
to win her back again. Thus, for her and him the whole army is
in great distress. But soon upon their return the whole affair
will change its aspect; for now they have reached the camp again,
and have quickly changed the grief to joy. Joy returns and
sorrow flees. All the troops come together and sally forth to
welcome them. The two emperors, upon hearing the report about
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau by Honore de Balzac: calls business? There is no honor among mayors; the government
deceives us. Stop! I'll go and make him pay me; I will--"
"Hey! at such times everybody looks out for himself, my dear!" said
Gigonnet, lifting his leg with the quaint little action of a cat
fearing to cross a wet place,--a habit to which he owed his nickname.
"There are some very big wigs in the matter who mean to get themselves
out of the scrape."
"Yes, and I'll pull my nuts out of the fire, too! Marie-Jeanne, bring
my clogs and my rabbit-skin cloak; and quick, too, or I'll warm you up
with a box on the ear."
"There'll be warm work down there!" thought Gigonnet, rubbing his
Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from From London to Land's End by Daniel Defoe: that the smallest did--that is to say that Sherborne, Blandford,
Wimborneminster, Stourminster, and several other towns choose no
members; whereas Weymouth, Melcombe, and Bridport were all burgess
towns. But now we come to Devonshire we find almost all the great
towns, and some smaller, choosing members also. It is true there
are some large populous towns that do not choose, but then there
are so many that do, that the county seems to have no injustice,
for they send up six-and-twenty members.
However, as I say above, there are several great towns which do not
choose Parliament men, of which Bideford is one, Crediton or Kirton
another, Ilfracombe a third; but, those excepted, the principal
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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 Hellenica by Xenophon: an account of his administration in general. If there was a deficit he
made it up out of his own pocket, and when the revenues expanded he
paid himself back. For the rest, his hospitality to foreigners and his
magnificence were on a true Thessalian scale. Such was the style and
character of the man who now arrived in Lacedaemon and spoke as
follows:
[1] {pros to koinon}, "h.e. vel ad ad senatum vel ad ephoros vel ad
concionem."--Sturz, "Lex. Xen." s.v.
"Men of Lacedaemon, it is in my capacity as 'proxenos' and
'benefactor' (titles borne by my ancestry from time immemorial) that I
claim, or rather am bound, in case of any difficulty to come to you,
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