| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Plutarch's Lives by A. H. Clough: Lacedaemonians, by venturing his own person along with his country-men.
But Pericles's friends, gathering in a body, forced him to retire as a
banished man. For which cause also Pericles seems to have exerted
himself more in that than in any battle, and to have been conspicuous
above all for his exposure of himself to danger. All Cimon's friends,
also, to a man, fell together side by side, whom Pericles had accused
with him of taking part with the Lacedaemonians. Defeated in this
battle on their own frontiers, and expecting a new and perilous attack
with return of spring, the Athenians now felt regret and sorrow for the
loss of Cimon, and repentance for their expulsion of him. Pericles,
being sensible of their feelings, did not hesitate or delay to gratify
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Lesson of the Master by Henry James: independence he must strive for from the moment he begins to wish
his work really decent. Ah my young friend, his relation to women,
and especially to the one he's most intimately concerned with, is
at the mercy of the damning fact that whereas he can in the nature
of things have but one standard, they have about fifty. That's
what makes them so superior," St. George amusingly added. "Fancy
an artist with a change of standards as you'd have a change of
shirts or of dinner-plates. To DO it - to do it and make it divine
- is the only thing he has to think about. 'Is it done or not?' is
his only question. Not 'Is it done as well as a proper solicitude
for my dear little family will allow?' He has nothing to do with
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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 A Prince of Bohemia by Honore de Balzac: enough to awaken one's vanity to see how frightened he is of seeming
to listen to me. I must be in the right ten times over if he concedes
a single point.'
"(Emphatic negative gestures from du Bruel at every other word.)
" 'Oh, yes, yes,' she continued quickly, in answer to this mute
dissent. 'I know all about it, du Bruel, my dear, I that have been
like a queen in my house all my life till I married you. My wishes
were guessed, fulfilled, and more than fulfilled. After all, I am
thirty-five, and at five-and-thirty a woman cannot expect to be loved.
Ah, if I were a girl of sixteen, if I had not lost something that is
dearly bought at the Opera, what attention you would pay me, M. du
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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 The Heritage of the Desert by Zane Grey: blue; he felt himself on the threshold of the desert, with that subtle
mystery waiting; he knew himself to be close to strenuous action on the
ranges, companion of these sombre Mormons, exposed to their peril, making
their cause his cause, their life his life. What of their friendship,
their confidence? Was he worthy? Would he fail at the pinch? What a
man he must become to approach their simple estimate of him! Because he
had found health and strength, because he could shoot, because he had the
fleetest horse on the desert, were these reasons for their friendship?
No, these were only reasons for their trust. August Naab loved him.
Mescal loved him; Dave and George made of him a brother. 'They shall
have my life," he muttered.
The Heritage of the Desert |
