| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Salome by Oscar Wilde: d'arriver de Jerusalem. On n'a pas entendu parler de lui depuis
deux mois.
HERODE. Enfin, cela ne fait rien! Mais il faut le trouver et lui
dire de ma part que je ne lui permets pas de ressusciter les morts.
Changer de l'eau en vin, guerir les lepreux et les aveugles . . . il
peut faire tout cela s'il le veut. Je n'ai rien e dire contre cela.
En effet, je trouve que guerir les lepreux est une bonne action.
Mais je ne permets pas qu'il ressuscite les morts . . . Ce serait
terrible, si les morts reviennent.
LA VOIX D'IOKANAAN. Ah! l'impudique! la prostituee! Ah! la fille
de Babylone avec ses yeux d'or et ses paupieres dorees! Voici ce
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: are they replaced by other than members of the imperial house,
even though the law gives to the jeds the right to select whom
they please.
"U-Thor is a just man and good, then?" asked Tara of Helium.
"There be none nobler," replied Lan-O. "In Manatos none but
wicked criminals who deserve death are forced to play at jetan,
and even then the play is fair and they have their chance for
freedom. Volunteers may play, but the moves are not necessarily
to the death--a wound, and even sometimes points in swordplay,
deciding the issue. There they look upon jetan as a martial
sport--here it is but butchery. And U-Thor is opposed to the
The Chessmen of Mars |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Foolish Virgin by Thomas Dixon: she purred softly. "We'll see who wins at last, the
eagle who soars or the little wren in the hedge close
beside the garden wall--we'll see, Kitty--we'll see!"
The room was still, the noise of the street-cars
below muffled with the first soft blanket of snow. The
street lamps flickered in the wind with a pale subdued
light that scarcely brought out the furnishings of her
nest. She was in the habit of dreaming in this window
for hours with only the light from the lamps on the
street.
The Square, deserted by its tramp lovers, lay white
|
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 Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: her coffin."
"But your father," said Catherine, "was he afflicted?"
"For a time, greatly so. You have erred in supposing
him not attached to her. He loved her, I am persuaded,
as well as it was possible for him to--we have not all,
you know, the same tenderness of disposition--and
I will not pretend to say that while she lived,
she might not often have had much to bear, but though
his temper injured her, his judgment never did.
His value of her was sincere; and, if not permanently,
he was truly afflicted by her death."
Northanger Abbey |
