| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from An Historical Mystery by Honore de Balzac: masonry.
"We have a salon to converse in," said Michu. "The gendarmes may prowl
as much as they like; the worst they could do would be to take our
horses."
"If they do that," said Laurence, "it would be the death of my cousins
and the Messieurs d'Hauteserre. Tell me now, what do you know?"
Michu related what he had overheard Malin say to Grevin.
"They are already on the road to Paris; they were to enter it
to-morrow morning," said the countess when he had finished.
"Lost!" exclaimed Michu. "All persons entering or leaving the barriers
are examined. Malin has strong reasons to let my masters compromise
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Unseen World and Other Essays by John Fiske: at the same time a spot had been chosen for the execution that
permitted the populace to have a good view. Why this
contradiction? A place is chosen to enable the people to see
everything, but the victim is carefully hidden from their sight."
Whether otherwise explicable or not, this fact is certainly
consistent with the hypothesis that some other victim was
secretly substituted for Jeanne by the English authorities.
We have thus far contented ourselves with presenting and
re-enforcing Mr. Delepierre's statement of the case. It is now
time to interpose a little criticism. We must examine our data
somewhat more closely, for vagueness of conception allows a
The Unseen World and Other Essays |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Concerning Christian Liberty by Martin Luther: of the Fathers, and not caring a straw about those things which
belong to our genuine faith. Both these parties are plainly
culpable, in that, while they neglect matters which are of weight
and necessary for salvation, they contend noisily about such as
are without weight and not necessary.
How much more rightly does the Apostle Paul teach us to walk in
the middle path, condemning either extreme and saying, "Let not
him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him
which eateth not judge him that eateth" (Rom. xiv. 3)! You see
here how the Apostle blames those who, not from religious
feeling, but in mere contempt, neglect and rail at ceremonial
|
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 Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum: guess one object in eleven correctly; and, if I do, I shall rescue one
of the royal family and be safe myself. Then the rest of you may
attempt it, and soon we shall free all those who are enslaved."
"What if we fail?" enquired the Scarecrow. "I'd look nice as a piece
of bric-a-brac, wouldn't I?"
"We must not fail!" cried Ozma, courageously. "Having come all this
distance to free these poor people, it would be weak and cowardly in
us to abandon the adventure. Therefore I will accept the Nome King's
offer, and go at once into the royal palace."
"Come along, then, my dear," said the King, climbing down from his throne
with some difficulty, because he was so fat; "I'll show you the way."
Ozma of Oz |
