| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Men of Iron by Howard Pyle: castle folk had one time drawn their supply of water in time of
siege, and with every new wonder of the marvellous place the
enthusiasm of the three recruits rose higher and higher. They
rummaged through the lumber pile in the great circular room as
Myles and Gascoyne had done, and at last, tired out, they
ascended to the airy chapel, and there sat cooling themselves in
the rustling freshness of the breeze that came blowing briskly in
through the arched windows.
It was then and there that the five discussed and finally
determined upon the detailed plans of their organization,
canvassing the names of the squirehood, and selecting from it a
Men of Iron |
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 Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert: outposts, he planted forks at the foot of the rampart, he drove
caltrops into the ground, and he commanded the Libyans to bring him a
whole forest that he might set it on fire and burn Carthage like a den
of foxes.
Spendius went on obstinately with the siege. He sought to invent
terrible machines such as had never before been constructed.
The other Barbarians, encamped at a distance on the isthmus, were
amazed at these delays; they murmured, and they were let loose.
Then they rushed with their cutlasses and javelins, and beat against
the gates with them. But the nakedness of their bodies facilitating
the infliction of wounds, the Carthaginians massacred them freely; and
Salammbo |
