| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert: better, and yet his presence would have embarrassed her. She sent him
word that she could not receive him.
Moreover, Hamilcar had forbidden his people to admit the King of the
Numidians to see her; by putting off his reward to the end of the war
he hoped to retain his devotion;--and, through dread of the Suffet,
Narr' Havas withdrew.
But he bore himself haughtily towards the Hundred. He changed their
arrangements. He demanded privileges for his men, and placed them on
important posts; thus the Barbarians stared when they perceived
Numidians on the towers.
The surprise of the Carthaginians was greater still when three hundred
Salammbo |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Eve and David by Honore de Balzac: doubt, David began to see his real position more clearly; and to
himself he said, as the Cointets had said to old Sechard, as Petit-
Claud had just said to Eve, "Suppose that all should go well, what
does it amount to in practice? The first thing to be done is to take
out a patent, and money is needed for that--and experiments must be
tried on a large scale in a paper-mill, which means that the discovery
must pass into other hands. Oh! Petit-Claud was right!"
A very vivid light sometimes dawns in the darkest prison.
"Pshaw!" said David; "I shall see Petit-Claud to-morrow no doubt," and
he turned and slept on the filthy mattress covered with coarse brown
sacking.
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle: "hath sent us to Lincoln with those moneys that--"
"Stay, brother Hodge," quoth the Blind man, breaking into the talk,
"I would not doubt our brother here, but bear in mind we know him not.
What art thou, brother? Upright-man, Jurkman, Clapper-dudgeon, Dommerer,
or Abraham-man?"
At these words Robin looked from one man to the other with mouth agape.
"Truly," quoth he, "I trust I am an upright man, at least, I strive to be;
but I know not what thou meanest by such jargon, brother. It were much
more seemly, methinks, if yon Dumb man, who hath a sweet voice, would give
us a song."
At these words a silence fell on all, and after a while the Blind
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood |
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 Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells: not the slightest notice of either of us. We dined with him in a
sulky silence, after a few ineffectual efforts on my part to talk.
It struck me too that the men regarded my companion and his animals
in a singularly unfriendly manner. I found Montgomery very reticent
about his purpose with these creatures, and about his destination;
and though I was sensible of a growing curiosity as to both, I did not
press him.
We remained talking on the quarter deck until the sky was thick
with stars. Except for an occasional sound in the yellow-lit forecastle
and a movement of the animals now and then, the night was very still.
The puma lay crouched together, watching us with shining eyes, a black
The Island of Doctor Moreau |
