| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Horse's Tale by Mark Twain: "Of course her room is Ranger headquarters now, Marse Tom, while
she's sick. Well, soldiers of the cavalry and the dragoons that
are off duty come and get her sentries to let them relieve them and
serve in their place. It's only out of affection, sir, and because
they know military honors please her, and please the children too,
for her sake; and they don't bring their muskets; and so - "
"I've noticed them there, but didn't twig the idea. They are
standing guard, are they?"
"Yes, sir, and she is afraid you will reprove them and hurt their
feelings, if you see them there; so she begs, if - if you don't
mind coming in the back way - "
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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 Sportsman by Xenophon: The tracks of hares are long in winter owing to the length of night,
and short for the opposite reason during summer. In winter, however,
their scent does not lie in early morning, when the rime is on the
ground, or earth is frozen.[1] The fact is, hoar frost by its own
inherent force absorbs its heat, whilst black frost freezes it.[2]
[1] Or, "when there is hoar frost or black frost" (lit. "ice").
[2] Or, "the ice congeals them," "encases as it were in itself the
heat," i.e. the warm scent; aliter, "causes the tracks to freeze
at the top."
The hounds, moreover, with their noses nipped by the cold,[3] cannot
under these conditions[4] use their sense of smell, until the sun or
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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 Adieu by Honore de Balzac: me a trick, Sucy. We were to have had a nice little hunt not far from
Cassan, and beaten the coverts I know. Instead of that, you have kept
me running like a hare since four o'clock this morning, and all I've
had for breakfast is a cup of milk. Now, if you ever have a petition
before the Court, I'll make you lose it, however just your claim."
The poor discouraged huntsman sat down on a stone that supported the
signpost, relieved himself of his gun and his gamebag, and heaved a
long sigh.
"France! such are thy deputies!" exclaimed Colonel de Sucy, laughing.
"Ah! my poor d'Albon, if you had been like me six years in the wilds
of Siberia--"
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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 Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy: West Barricade, at the very spot where, a decade later, a proud tyrant
raised an undying monument to the nation's glory and his own vanity.
During the greater part of the day the guillotine had been
kept busy at its ghastly work: all that France had boasted of in the
past centuries, of ancient names, and blue blood, had paid toll to her
desire for liberty and for fraternity. The carnage had only ceased at
this late hour of the day because there were other more interesting
sights for the people to witness, a little while before the final
closing of the barricades for the night.
And so the crowd rushed away from the Place de la Greve and
made for the various barricades in order to watch this interesting and
The Scarlet Pimpernel |
