| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin: we know, or can conceive, there are many conditions both of pain and
sin which cannot but so end. Of course we are ignorant and blind
creatures, and we cannot know what seeds of good may be in present
suffering, or present crime; but with what we cannot know we are not
concerned. It is conceivable that murderers and liars may in some
distant world be exalted into a higher humanity than they could have
reached without homicide or falsehood; but the contingency is not
one by which our actions should be guided. There is, indeed, a
better hope that the beggar, who lies at our gates in misery, may,
within gates of pearl, be comforted; but the Master, whose words are
our only authority for thinking so, never Himself inflicted disease
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from My Aunt Margaret's Mirror by Walter Scott: Bothwell's loyal affection, that he has the Stewart right of
birth as well as the Act of Succession in his favour."
"Perhaps my attachment, were its source of consequence, might be
found warmer for the union of the rights you mention," said Aunt
Margaret; "but, upon my word, it would be as sincere if the
King's right were founded only on the will of the nation, as
declared at the Revolution. I am none of your JURE DIVINO
folks."
"And a Jacobite notwithstanding."
"And a Jacobite notwithstanding--or rather, I will give you leave
to call me one of the party which, in Queen Anne's time, were
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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 Vailima Letters by Robert Louis Stevenson: Grant, I totally forgot my heroine, and even - but this is a
flat secret - tried to win away David. I think I must try
some day to marry Miss Grant. I'm blest if I don't think
I've got that hair out! which seems triumph enough; so I
conclude.
TUESDAY.
Your infinitesimal correspondence has reached me, and I have
the honour to refer to it with scorn. It contains only one
statement of conceivable interest, that your health is
better; the rest is null, and so far as disquisitory unsound.
I am all right, but David Balfour is ailing; this came from
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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 Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates by Howard Pyle: Mainwaring surmised in an instant that the trader's visit related
somehow to news of Captain Scarfield, and as immediately, in the
relief of something positive to face, all of his feeling of
restlessness vanished like a shadow of mist. He gave orders that
Captain Cooper should be immediately shown into the cabin, and in
a few moments the tall, angular form of the Quaker skipper
appeared in the narrow, lanthorn-lighted space.
Mainwaring at once saw that his visitor was strangely agitated
and disturbed. He had taken off his hat, and shining beads of
perspiration had gathered and stood clustered upon his forehead.
He did not reply to Mainwaring's greeting; he did not, indeed,
Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates |
