| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Cromwell by William Shakespeare: GARDINER.
Marry, my Lords, thus: by an Act he made himself,
With an intent to entrap some of our lives,
And this it is: If any Counsellor
Be convicted of high treason, he shall
Be executed without a public trial.
This Act, my Lords, he caused the King to make.
SUFFOLK.
A did indeed, and I remember it,
And now it is like to fall upon himself.
NORFOLK.
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: big apron, she fell to work and got the dishes piled up ready for
washing, when she discovered that the fire was out.
"Here's a sweet prospect!" muttered Jo, slamming the stove
door open, and poking vigorously among the cinders.
Having rekindled the fire, she thought she would go to market
while the water heated. The walk revived her spirits, and flattering
herself that she had made good bargins, she trudged home again, after
buying a very young lobster, some very old asparagus, and two boxes
of acid strawberries. By the time she got cleared up, the dinner
arrived and the stove was red-hot. Hannah had left a pan of bread
to rise, Meg had worked it up early, set it on the hearth for a
Little Women |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Dracula by Bram Stoker: over Lake Hermanstadt, where the devil claims the tenth scholar
as his due. In the records are such words as `stregoica' witch,
`ordog' and `pokol' Satan and hell, and in one manuscript this very
Dracula is spoken of as `wampyr,'which we all understand too well.
There have been from the loins of this very one great men and good women,
and their graves make sacred the earth where alone this foulness can dwell.
For it is not the least of its terrors that this evil thing is rooted
deep in all good, in soil barren of holy memories it cannot rest."
Whilst they were talking Mr. Morris was looking steadily at
the window, and he now got up quietly, and went out of the room.
There was a little pause, and then the Professor went on.
Dracula |
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 Light of Western Stars by Zane Grey: be-ootiful game. An' thankin' you, Miss Majesty, an' all your
friends, I want to add thet if Bill's outfit couldn't beat us
before, they've got a swell chanct now, with you ladies
a-watchin' me an' Link."
Monty had seemed to expand with pride as he delivered this
speech, and at the end he bowed low and turned away. He joined
the group round Stillwell. Once more there was animated
discussion and argument and expostulation. One of the cowboys
came for Castleton and led him away to exploit upon ground rules.
It seemed to Madeline that the game never would begin. She
strolled on the rim of the mesa, arm in arm with Edith Wayne, and
The Light of Western Stars |
