| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Country Doctor by Honore de Balzac: confinement, the dear man!"
"Well, my children, go on and prosper; continue to increase your
wealth and to add to your family."
The cleanliness of the almost ruinous dwelling filled Genestas with
admiration.
Benassis saw the officer's astonishment, and said, "There is no one
like Mme. Vigneau for keeping a house clean and tidy like this. I wish
that several people in the town would come here to take a lesson."
The tile-maker's wife blushed and turned her head away; but the faces
of the two old mothers beamed with pleasure at the doctor's words, and
the three women walked with them to the spot where the horses were
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Apology by Plato: his charge is five minae.' Happy is Evenus, I said to myself, if he really
has this wisdom, and teaches at such a moderate charge. Had I the same, I
should have been very proud and conceited; but the truth is that I have no
knowledge of the kind.
I dare say, Athenians, that some one among you will reply, 'Yes, Socrates,
but what is the origin of these accusations which are brought against you;
there must have been something strange which you have been doing? All
these rumours and this talk about you would never have arisen if you had
been like other men: tell us, then, what is the cause of them, for we
should be sorry to judge hastily of you.' Now I regard this as a fair
challenge, and I will endeavour to explain to you the reason why I am
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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 The Odyssey by Homer: would that I had but a third part of those my riches, and
dwelt in my halls, and that those men were yet safe, who
perished of old in the wide land of Troy, far from Argos,
the pastureland of horses. Howbeit, though I bewail them
all and sorrow oftentimes as I sit in our halls,--awhile
indeed I satisfy my soul with lamentation, and then again I
cease; for soon hath man enough of chill lamentation--yet
for them all I make no such dole, despite my grief, as for
one only, who causes me to loathe both sleep and meat, when
I think upon him. For no one of the Achaeans toiled so
greatly as Odysseus toiled and adventured himself: but to
The Odyssey |
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 Mad King by Edgar Rice Burroughs: "A very young woman," he ended lamely.
Emma von der Tann knew that he had not intended say-
ing that at all. Being a woman, she knew precisely what he
had meant to say, and she discovered that she would very
much have liked to hear him say it.
"Suppose," said Barney, "that Peter's soldiers run across
us--what then?"
"They will take you back to Blentz, your majesty."
"And you?"
"I do not think that they will dare lay hands on me,
though it is possible that Peter might do so. He hates my
The Mad King |
