| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne: deal, reverberated the sound more sorrowfully to his ear, forbad him.
--No; said the corporal to himself, I'll do it before his honour rises to-
morrow morning; so taking his spade out of the wheel-barrow again, with a
little earth in it, as if to level something at the foot of the glacis--but
with a real intent to approach nearer to his master, in order to divert
him--he loosen'd a sod or two--pared their edges with his spade, and having
given them a gentle blow or two with the back of it, he sat himself down
close by my uncle Toby's feet and began as follows.
Chapter 4.XLIII.
It was a thousand pities--though I believe, an' please your honour, I am
going to say but a foolish kind of a thing for a soldier--
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from In the South Seas by Robert Louis Stevenson: cutting paper flowers and wreaths. His diocese was not great
enough for his activity; the churches of the Marquesas were papered
with his handiwork, and still he must be making more. 'Ah,' said
he, smiling, 'when I am dead what a fine time you will have
clearing out my trash!' He had been dead about six months; but I
was pleased to see some of his trophies still exposed, and looked
upon them with a smile: the tribute (if I have read his cheerful
character aright) which he would have preferred to any useless
tears. Disease continued progressively to disable him; he who had
clambered so stalwartly over the rude rocks of the Marquesas,
bringing peace to warfaring clans, was for some time carried in a
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