| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Herodias by Gustave Flaubert: their walks along the Sacred Way, and the sweet evening rendezvous at
the villa, among the flowery groves, listening to the murmur of
splashing fountains, within sight of the Roman Campagna. Her glances
were as tender as in former days; she drew near to him, leaned against
his breast and caressed him fondly.
But he repelled her soft advances. The love she sought to rekindle had
died long ago. He thought instead of all his misfortunes, and of the
twelve long years during which the war had continued. Protracted
anxiety had visibly aged the tetrarch. His shoulders were bent beneath
his violet-bordered toga; his whitening locks were long and mingled
with his beard, and the sunlight revealed many lines upon his brow, as
Herodias |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Secret Places of the Heart by H. G. Wells: any cost."
Again as the doctor was about to speak the word was taken out
of his mouth. "And what I think of it, Dr. Martineau, is
this: it's fatigue. It's mental and moral fatigue. Too much
effort. On too high a level. And too austere. One strains and
fags. FLAGS! 'Flags' I meant to say. One strains and flags
and then the lower stuff in one, the subconscious stuff,
takes control."
There was a flavour of popularized psychoanalysis about this,
and the doctor drew in the corners of his mouth and gave his
head a critical slant. "M'm." But this only made Sir Richmond
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