| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Virginibus Puerisque by Robert Louis Stevenson: Both of these hurry the respiration; they both shake up the
brain out of its glorious open-air confusion; and they both
break the pace. Uneven walking is not so agreeable to the
body, and it distracts and irritates the mind. Whereas, when
once you have fallen into an equable stride, it requires no
conscious thought from you to keep it up, and yet it prevents
you from thinking earnestly of anything else. Like knitting,
like the work of a copying clerk, it gradually neutralises and
sets to sleep the serious activity of the mind. We can think
of this or that, lightly and laughingly, as a child thinks, or
as we think in a morning dose; we can make puns or puzzle out
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Essays of Francis Bacon by Francis Bacon: neutral. Yet even in beginners, to adhere so moder-
ately, as he be a man of the one faction, which is
most passable with the other, commonly giveth
best way. The lower and weaker faction, is the
firmer in conjunction; and it is often seen, that a
few that are stiff, do tire out a greater number, that
are more moderate. When one of the factions is ex-
tinguished, the remaining subdivideth; as the
faction between Lucullus, and the rest of the
nobles of the senate (which they called Optimates)
held out awhile, against the faction of Pompey
Essays of Francis Bacon |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Wrong Box by Stevenson & Osbourne: calculations.
On his part the carrier fell to whistling with fresh zest; and if
(now and again) he glanced at the companion of his drive, it was
with mingled feelings of triumph and alarm--triumph because he
had succeeded in arresting that prodigy of speech, and alarm lest
(by any accident) it should begin again. Even the shower, which
presently overtook and passed them, was endured by both in
silence; and it was still in silence that they drove at length
into Southampton.
Dusk had fallen; the shop windows glimmered forth into the
streets of the old seaport; in private houses lights were kindled
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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 Under the Red Robe by Stanley Weyman: keenly.
I shrugged my shoulders. 'That is as may be,' I said. 'You do
not take an estate without the debts.'
He did not answer for a moment, and I fancied that his thoughts
had reverted to his own case. But on a sudden he looked at me
again. 'Will you answer a question, M. de Berault?' he said
winningly.
'Perhaps,' I replied.
'Then tell me--it is a tale I am sure worth the telling. What
was it that, in a very evil hour for me, sent you in search of
me?'
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