| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne: The letter was then placed in an envelope, which was
sealed with the imperial arms.
The Czar, rising, told Michael Strogoff to draw near.
Michael advanced a few steps, and then stood motionless,
ready to answer.
The Czar again looked him full in the face and their
eyes met. Then in an abrupt tone, "Thy name?" he asked.
"Michael Strogoff, sire."
"Thy rank?"
"Captain in the corps of couriers of the Czar."
"Thou dost know Siberia?"
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Hiero by Xenophon: "Cyrop." VII. ii. 22. See Sturz, s.v.
Nay more, not even in the years of plenty,[6] when abundance of all
blessings reigns, not even then may the tyrant's heart rejoice amid
the general joy, for the greater the indigence of the community the
humbler he will find them: that is his theory.
[6] "In good seasons," "seasons of prosperity." Cf. Aristot. "Pol." v.
6. 17.
VI
He continued: I desire to make known to you, Simonides,[1] those
divers pleasures which were mine whilst I was still a private citizen,
but of which to-day, nay, from the moment I became a tyrant, I find
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Case of The Lamp That Went Out by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: tone of disappointment. "Why, I thought you'd have something really
interesting to tell me."
"Oh, no, that isn't all, sir," exclaimed the old man eagerly.
Muller leaned forward, really interested now, while Franz continued:
"She was uneasy all the afternoon yesterday. She walked up and down
stairs and through the halls - I remember Lizzie making some joke
about it - and then in the evening to our surprise she suddenly began
a great rummaging in the first story."
"Is that where she lives ?"
"Oh, no; her room is in the wing out towards the garden. The rooms
on the first floor all belong to the master and mistress. This
|
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 Second Inaugural Address by Abraham Lincoln: than let it perish. And the war came.
One-eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed
generally over the Union, but localized in the Southern part of it.
These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew
that this interest was, somehow, the cause of the war. To strengthen,
perpetuate, and extend this interest was the object for which the
insurgents would rend the Union, even by war; while the government claimed
no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it.
Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration
which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause
of the conflict might cease with, or even before, the conflict itself
Second Inaugural Address |
