| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Little Britain by Washington Irving: everybody that offends against the dignity of the city; and then
there is the little man with a velvet porringer on his head, who
sits at the window of the state-coach, and holds the city sword,
as long as a pike-staff--Odd's blood! If he once draws that
sword, Majesty itself is not safe!
Under the protection of this mighty potentate, therefore, the
good people of Little Britain sleep in peace. Temple Bar is an
effectual barrier against all interior foes; and as to foreign
invasion, the Lord Mayor has but to throw himself into the
Tower, call in the trainbands, and put the standing army of
Beef-eaters under arms, and he may bid defiance to the world!
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne: plan, than my father's from the Gothick--I feel myself upon a par with him
in his first bed of justice,--and no way inferior to him in his second.--
These different and almost irreconcileable effects, flow uniformly from the
wise and wonderful mechanism of nature,--of which,--be her's the honour.--
All that we can do, is to turn and work the machine to the improvement and
better manufactory of the arts and sciences.--
Now, when I write full,--I write as if I was never to write fasting again
as long as I live;--that is, I write free from the cares as well as the
terrors of the world.--I count not the number of my scars,--nor does my
fancy go forth into dark entries and bye-corners to ante-date my stabs.--In
a word, my pen takes its course; and I write on as much from the fulness of
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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 New Arabian Nights by Robert Louis Stevenson: until your dying day."
With that, the General dragged Harry from the apartment, and
hurried him downstairs and along the street to the police-station
of the district.
Here (says my Arabian author) ended this deplorable business of the
bandbox. But to the unfortunate Secretary the whole affair was the
beginning of a new and manlier life. The police were easily
persuaded of his innocence; and, after he had given what help he
could in the subsequent investigations, he was even complemented by
one of the chiefs of the detective department on the probity and
simplicity of his behaviour. Several persons interested themselves
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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 The White Moll by Frank L. Packard: excellent horseman, but, pitched from his seat, his foot became
tangled in the stirrup, and as he hung there head down, a blow from
he horse's hoof rendered him unconscious, and he was being dragged
along, when a man by the name of Deemer, at the risk of his own
life, saved the rajah's son. The horse plunged over the bank and
into the water with both of them. They were both nearly drowned.
Deemer, let me say in passing, did one of the bravest things that
any man ever did. Submerged, half drowned himself, he stayed
with the maddened animal until he had succeeded in freeing the
unconscious man. All this was some two years ago."
The Adventurer paused.
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