| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Catherine de Medici by Honore de Balzac: free to pass his time with Diane de Poitiers. But the king was never
lacking in anything that was due to himself; and he gave Catherine an
"entry" into Paris, to be crowned as queen, which was worthy of all
such pageants that had ever taken place. The archives of the
Parliament, and those of the Cour des Comptes, show that those two
great bodies went to meet her outside of Paris as far as Saint Lazare.
Here is an extract from du Tillet's account of it:--
"A platform had been erected at Saint-Lazare, on which was a
throne (du Tillet calls it a /chair de parement/). Catherine took
her seat upon it, wearing a surcoat, or species of ermine short-
cloak covered with precious stones, a bodice beneath it with the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: things we are bound to observe, if we desire to attain to
perfection and receive the incorruptible crowns of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give at that day unto
all them that have loved his appearing."
Ioasaph said unto the elder, "Well then, as the strictness of
these doctrines demandeth such chaste conversation, if, after
baptism, I chance to fail in one or two of these commandments,
shall I therefore utterly miss the goal, and shall all my hope be
vain?"
Barlaam answered, "Deem not so. God, the Word, made man for the
salvation of our race, aware of the exceeding frailty and misery
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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 The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry: End of this Project Gutenberg Etext of THE GIFT OF THE MAGI.
The Gift of the Magi |
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 Tess of the d'Urbervilles, A Pure Woman by Thomas Hardy: remain to be contemplated only as a transient dream.
The impulse stirred in her, yet she dared not indulge
it, to make a movement that would have precipitated
them both into the gulf. How she valued her own life
had been proved; but his--she had no right to tamper
with it. He reached the other side with her in safety.
Here they were within a plantation which formed the
Abbey grounds, and taking a new hold of her he went
onward a few steps till they reached the ruined choir
of the Abbey-church. Against the north wall was the
empty stone coffin of an abbot, in which every tourist
Tess of the d'Urbervilles, A Pure Woman |
