| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tono Bungay by H. G. Wells: "Gettin' lunch-time, George," he said. "You'd better come and
have lunch with me!"
"How's Aunt Susan?" I asked.
"Exuberant. Never saw her so larky. This has bucked her up
something wonderful--all this."
"All what?"
"Tono-Bungay."
"What is Tono-Bungay?" I asked.
My uncle hesitated. "Tell you after lunch, George," he said.
"Come along!" and having locked up the sanctum after himself, led
the way along a narrow dirty pavement, lined with barrows and
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Country Doctor by Honore de Balzac: it; to carry my children in my arms all day, and patch and re-patch a
man's rags. The cure tells me that such thoughts as these are not very
Christian; I know that myself, but how can I help it? There are days
when I would rather eat a morsel of dry bread than cook anything for
my dinner. Why would you have me worry some man's life out with my
failings? He would perhaps work himself to death to satisfy my whims,
and that would not be right. Pshaw! an unlucky lot has fallen to me,
and I ought to bear it by myself."
"And besides, she is a born do-nothing," said Benassis. "We must take
my poor Fosseuse as we find her. But all that she has been saying to
you simply means that she has never loved as yet," he added, smiling.
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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 Tapestried Chamber by Walter Scott: lasted no longer than till the visitor had spoken, and the hearty
greeting which followed was such as can only be exchanged betwixt
those who have passed together the merry days of careless boyhood
or early youth.
"If I could have formed a wish, my dear Browne," said Lord
Woodville, "it would have been to have you here, of all men, upon
this occasion, which my friends are good enough to hold as a sort
of holiday. Do not think you have been unwatched during the
years you have been absent from us. I have traced you through
your dangers, your triumphs, your misfortunes, and was delighted
to see that, whether in victory or defeat, the name of my old
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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 Mirror of the Sea by Joseph Conrad: Neither before nor since have I felt a ship roll so abruptly, so
violently, so heavily. Once she began, you felt that she would
never stop, and this hopeless sensation, characterizing the motion
of ships whose centre of gravity is brought down too low in
loading, made everyone on board weary of keeping on his feet. I
remember once over-hearing one of the hands say: "By Heavens,
Jack! I feel as if I didn't mind how soon I let myself go, and let
the blamed hooker knock my brains out if she likes." The captain
used to remark frequently: "Ah, yes; I dare say one-third weight
above beams would have been quite enough for most ships. But then,
you see, there's no two of them alike on the seas, and she's an
The Mirror of the Sea |
