| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: betray a fellow-combatant and fellow-soldier into thy hands.
Nay, but thou shalt not have that scoff to make at us; no, not if
thou put us to ten thousand deaths. We be not such cowards as to
betray our religion through dread of thy torments, or to disgrace
the law divine. So then, if such be thy purpose, make ready
every weapon to defend thy claim; for to us to live is Christ,
and to die for him is the best gain."
Incensed with anger thereat, the monarch ordered the tongues of
these Confessors to be rooted out, and their eyes digged out, and
likewise their hands and feet lopped off. Sentence passed, the
henchmen and guards surrounded and mutilated them, without pity
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Caesar's Commentaries in Latin by Julius Caesar: suis carris secuti impedimenta in unum locum contulerunt; ipsi
concertissima acie, reiecto nostro equitatu, phalange facta sub primam
nostram aciem successerunt.
Caesar primum suo, deinde omnium ex conspectu remotis equis, ut
aequato omnium periculo spem fugae tolleret, cohortatus suos proelium
commisit. Milites loco superiore pilis missis facile hostium phalangem
perfregerunt. Ea disiecta gladiis destrictis in eos impetum fecerunt.
Gallis magno ad pugnam erat impedimento quod pluribus eorum scutis uno
ictu pilorum transfixis et conligatis, cum ferrum se inflexisset, neque
evellere neque sinistra impedita satis commode pugnare poterant, multi ut
diu iactato bracchio praeoptarent scutum manu emittere et nudo corpore
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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 Yates Pride by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman: turned toward it. There stood the old wooden cradle in which
Eudora had been rocked to sleep, but over the clumsy hood Eudora
had tacked a fall of rich old lace and a great bow of soft pink
satin.
"He is waking up," said the man, in a hushed, almost reverent
voice.
Eudora nodded. She went toward the cradle, and the man followed.
She lifted the curtain of lace, and there became visible little
feebly waving pink arms and hands, like tentacles of love, and a
little puckered pink face which was at once ugly and divinely
beautiful.
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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 Glinda of Oz by L. Frank Baum: "Yes, I am quite sure that is the upper end of the
pillar that supports the island. I noticed it when I
first came here. It has been hollowed out, you see, and
something has been burned in the basin, for the fire
has left its marks. I wondered what was under the great
basin and got several of the Skeezers to come up here
and try to lift it for me. They were strong men, but
could not move it at all."
"It seems to me," said Audah the Adept, "that we have
discovered the manner in which Coo-ee-oh raised the
island. She would burn some sort of magic powder in the
Glinda of Oz |
