| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Middlemarch by George Eliot: But was not Mr. Casaubon just as learned as before? Had his forms
of expression changed, or his sentiments become less laudable?
Oh waywardness of womanhood! did his chronology fail him, or his
ability to state not only a theory but the names of those who held it;
or his provision for giving the heads of any subject on demand?
And was not Rome the place in all the world to give free play
to such accomplishments? Besides, had not Dorothea's enthusiasm
especially dwelt on the prospect of relieving the weight and perhaps
the sadness with which great tasks lie on him who has to achieve them?--
And that such weight pressed on Mr. Casaubon was only plainer
than before.
Middlemarch |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Russia in 1919 by Arthur Ransome: and widened, and we took through them, under their own
power, seven big destroyers, six small destroyers and four
submarine boats, which, arriving unexpectedly before
Kazan, played a great part in our victory there. But the
pleasure of that was spoilt for me by the knowledge that I
had had to take men and material from the building of the
electric power station, with which we hope to make
Petrograd independent of the coal supply.
"The difficulties we have to fight against are, of course,
enormous, but much of what the old regime failed to do, for
want of initiative or for other reasons, we have done and are
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Twilight Land by Howard Pyle: sweetest things he could think of. Thousands of wax candles made
the palace bright as day, and as the princess looked about her
she thought she had never seen anything so fine in all the world.
After they had eaten their supper and ended with a dessert of all
kinds of fruits and of sweetmeats, the door opened and there came
a beautiful young serving-lad, carrying a silver tray, upon which
was something wrapped in a napkin. He kneeled before Jacob Stuck
and held the tray, and from the napkin Jacob Stuck took a
necklace of diamonds, each stone as big as a pigeon's egg.
"This is to remind you of me," said Jacob Stuck, "when you have
gone home again." And as he spoke he hung it around the
|
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 Bickerstaff-Partridge Papers by Jonathan Swift: more, for the whole island is one Kingdom, under the name of
Britain.
Geryon shall, etc. This prediction, tho' somewhat obscure, is
wonderfully adapt. Geryon is said to have been a king of Spain,
whom Hercules slew. It was a fiction of the poets, that he had
three heads, which the author says he shall have again: That is,
Spain shall have three kings; which is now wonderfully verified;
for besides the King of Portugal, which properly is part of
Spain, there are now two rivals for Spain, Charles and Philip:
But Charles being descended fro the Count of Hapsburgh, founder
of the Austrian family, shall soon make those heads but two; by
|
