| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Malbone: An Oldport Romance by Thomas Wentworth Higginson: cheerily, "I am only an idler in the land. Meanwhile, I have
my little interests,--read, write, sketch--"
"Flirt?" put in Hal, with growing displeasure.
"Not now," said Phil, patting his shoulder, with imperturbable
good-nature. "Our beloved has cured me of that. He who has won
the pearl dives no more."
"Do not let us speak of Hope," said Harry. "Everything that
you have been asserting Hope's daily life disproves."
"That may be," answered Malbone, heartily. "But, Hal, I never
flirted; I always despised it. It was always a grande passion
with me, or what I took for such. I loved to be loved, I
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: "You may hear, my lord, from yonder signal," said Sir Duncan
Campbell, "that he who pretends to be the King's Lieutenant, must
be in person among these men."
"And has probably horse with him," said Auchenbreck, "which I
could not have anticipated. But shall we look pale for that, my
lord, when we have foes to fight, and wrongs to revenge?"
Argyle was silent, and looked upon his arm, which hung in a sash,
owing to a fall which he had sustained in a preceding march.
"It is true," interrupted Ardenvohr, eagerly, "my Lord of Argyle,
you are disabled from using either sword or pistol; you must
retire on board the galleys--your life is precious to us as a
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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 Koran: truth?' Say, 'On the day of the decision their faith shall not
profit those who misbelieved, nor shall they be respited; turn then
from them and wait; verily, they are waiting too!
THE CHAPTER OF THE CONFEDERATES
(XXXIII. Medinah.)
IN the name of the merciful and compassionate God.
O thou prophet! fear God and obey not the misbelievers and
hypocrites; verily, God is ever knowing, wise!
But follow what thou art inspired with from thy Lord; verily, God of
what you do is ever well aware. And rely upon God, for God is guardian
enough.
The Koran |
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 Mosses From An Old Manse by Nathaniel Hawthorne: street, stooping and moving feebly like a person in inferior
health. His face was all overspread with a most sickly and sallow
hue, but yet so pervaded with an expression of piercing and
active intellect that an observer might easily have overlooked
the merely physical attributes and have seen only this wonderful
energy. As he passed, this person exchanged a cold and distant
salutation with Baglioni, but fixed his eyes upon Giovanni with
an intentness that seemed to bring out whatever was within him
worthy of notice. Nevertheless, there was a peculiar quietness in
the look, as if taking merely a speculative, not a human
interest, in the young man.
Mosses From An Old Manse |
