| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from King James Bible: is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.
NAH 1:6 Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the
fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks
are thrown down by him.
NAH 1:7 The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he
knoweth them that trust in him.
NAH 1:8 But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the
place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.
NAH 1:9 What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end:
affliction shall not rise up the second time.
NAH 1:10 For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they
King James Bible |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte: prolonged, piteous yelping. I had better luck: he passed on,
entered his chamber, and shut the door. Directly after Joseph came
up with Hareton, to put him to bed. I had found shelter in
Hareton's room, and the old man, on seeing me, said, - 'They's rahm
for boath ye un' yer pride, now, I sud think i' the hahse. It's
empty; ye may hev' it all to yerseln, un' Him as allus maks a
third, i' sich ill company!'
Gladly did I take advantage of this intimation; and the minute I
flung myself into a chair, by the fire, I nodded, and slept. My
slumber was deep and sweet, though over far too soon. Mr.
Heathcliff awoke me; he had just come in, and demanded, in his
Wuthering Heights |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Maid Marian by Thomas Love Peacock: he found himself even more welcome than he would have been at an inn;
and this is saying very much for gratitude and affection together.
The smiles which surrounded him were of his own creation, and he participated
in the happiness he had bestowed.
The casements began to rattle in the wind, and the rain to beat upon
the windows. The wind swelled to a hurricane, and the rain dashed
like a flood against the glass. The boy retired to his little bed,
the wife trimmed the lamp, the husband heaped logs upon the fire:
Robin broached another flask; and Marian filled the baron's cup,
and sweetened Robin's by touching its edge with her lips.
"Well," said the baron, "give me a roof over my head, be it never so humble.
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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 On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: above estimate. On the other hand, during oscillations of level, which we
know this area has undergone, the surface may have existed for millions of
years as land, and thus have escaped the action of the sea: when deeply
submerged for perhaps equally long periods, it would, likewise, have
escaped the action of the coast-waves. So that in all probability a far
longer period than 300 million years has elapsed since the latter part of
the Secondary period.
I have made these few remarks because it is highly important for us to gain
some notion, however imperfect, of the lapse of years. During each of
these years, over the whole world, the land and the water has been peopled
by hosts of living forms. What an infinite number of generations, which
On the Origin of Species |
