| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Louis Lambert by Honore de Balzac: was fitting that he too should fall. Like many another misprized soul,
he had often yearned to dive haughtily into the void, and abandon
there the secrets of his own life.
Mademoiselle de Villenoix would, however, have been quite justified in
recording his name on that cross with her own. Since her partner's
death, reunion has been her constant, hourly hope. But the vanities of
woe are foreign to faithful souls.
Villenoix is falling into ruin. She no longer resides there; to the
end, no doubt, that she may the better picture herself there as she
used to be. She had said long ago:
"His heart was mine; his genius is with God."
Louis Lambert |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Large Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther: fairly merit wrath, as now we see daily in bishops and princes.
But terrible as are these threatenings, so much the more powerful is
the consolation in the promise, that those who cling to God alone
should be sure that He will show them mercy that is, show them pure
goodness and blessing not only for themselves, but also to their
children and children's children, even to the thousandth generation and
beyond that. This ought certainly to move and impel us to risk our
hearts in all confidence with God, if we wish all temporal and eternal
good, since the Supreme Majesty makes such sublime offers and presents
such cordial inducements and such rich promises.
Therefore let everyone seriously take this to heart, lest it be
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Spirit of the Border by Zane Grey: his ear to learn if foes were close by. The wild creatures of the forest were
his informants. As soon as he heard any change in their twittering, humming or
playing--whichever way they manifested their joy or fear of life--he became as
hard to see, as difficult to hear as a creeping snake.
The Delaware's trail led to a rocky ridge and there disappeared. Wetzel made
no effort to find the chief's footprints on the flinty ground, but halted a
moment and studied the ridge, the lay of the land around, a ravine on one
side, and a dark impenetrable forest on the other. He was calculating his
chances of finding the Delaware's trail far on the other side. Indian
woodcraft, subtle, wonderful as it may be, is limited to each Indian's
ability. Savages, as well as other men, were born unequal. One might leave a
The Spirit of the Border |
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 Odyssey by Homer: like age? it is even as though one should choose out and
gather together the best warriors in a city. Did Poseidon
smite you in your ships and rouse up contrary winds and the
long waves? Or did unfriendly men, perchance, do you hurt
upon the land as ye were cutting off their oxen and fair
flocks of sheep, or while they fought to defend their city
and the women thereof? Answer and tell me, for I avow me a
friend of thy house. Rememberest thou not the day when I
came to your house in Ithaca with godlike Menelaus, to urge
Odysseus to follow with me to Ilios on the decked ships?
And it was a full month ere we had sailed all across the
The Odyssey |
