| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Chinese Boy and Girl by Isaac Taylor Headland:
The last twenty-six illustrations in Vol. I represent various
incidents in the life, history and employments of women.
The first of these is an ancient empress "weaving at night by her
palace window."
Another represents a woman in her boat and we are told that,
"leaving her oar she leisurely sang a song entitled, 'Plucking
the Caltrops.' "
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Dark Lady of the Sonnets by George Bernard Shaw: Globe Theatre.
THE BEEFEATER. Plague on her! She gave me two only.
THE MAN. _[detaching a tablet]_ My friend: present this tablet, and
you will be welcomed at any time when the plays of Will Shakespear are
in hand. Bring your wife. Bring your friends. Bring the whole
garrison. There is ever plenty of room.
THE BEEFEATER. I care not for these new-fangled plays. No man can
understand a word of them. They are all talk. Will you not give me a
pass for The Spanish Tragedy?
THE MAN. To see The Spanish Tragedy one pays, my friend. Here are
the means. _[He gives him a piece of gold]._
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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 Essays of Francis Bacon by Francis Bacon: occasions. There be three manner of plantations of
new sects. By the power of signs and miracles; by
the eloquence, and wisdom, of speech and persua-
sion; and by the sword. For martyrdoms, I reckon
them amongst miracles; because they seem to ex-
ceed the strength of human nature: and I may do
the like, of superlative and admirable holiness of
life. Surely there is no better way, to stop the rising
of new sects and schisms, than to reform abuses; to
compound the smaller differences; to proceed
mildly, and not with sanguinary persecutions;
Essays of Francis Bacon |
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 Princess by Alfred Tennyson: Through which I clambered o'er at top with pain,
Dropt on the sward, and up the linden walks,
And, tost on thoughts that changed from hue to hue,
Now poring on the glowworm, now the star,
I paced the terrace, till the Bear had wheeled
Through a great arc his seven slow suns.
A step
Of lightest echo, then a loftier form
Than female, moving through the uncertain gloom,
Disturbed me with the doubt 'if this were she,'
But it was Florian. 'Hist O Hist,' he said,
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