| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from All's Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare: displeasure, and, as he says, is muddied withal: pray you, sir,
use the carp as you may; for he looks like a poor, decayed,
ingenious, foolish, rascally knave. I do pity his distress
in my similes of comfort, and leave him to your lordship.
[Exit.]
PAROLLES.
My lord, I am a man whom fortune hath cruelly scratched.
LAFEU.
And what would you have me to do? 'tis too late to pare her
nails now. Wherein have you played the knave with fortune, that
she should scratch you, who of herself is a good lady, and would
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Adieu by Honore de Balzac: has only been here two months I will not vouch for the truth of these
hearsays."
Monsieur d'Albon thanked his friends, and placing the colonel in the
carriage, started with him for Cassan.
"It is she!" cried Philippe, recovering his senses.
"Who is she?" asked d'Albon.
"Stephanie. Ah, dead and living, living and mad! I fancied I was
dying."
The prudent marquis, appreciating the gravity of the crisis through
which his friend was passing, was careful not to question or excite
him; he was only anxious to reach the chateau, for the change which
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy: to other people, and was very grateful for her portrait. Vronsky
was more than cordial with him, and was obviously interested to
know the artist's opinion of his picture. Golenishtchev never let
slip an opportunity of instilling sound ideas about art into
Mihailov. But Mihailov remained equally chilly to all of them.
Anna was aware from his eyes that he liked looking at her, but he
avoided conversation with her. Vronsky's talk about his painting
he met with stubborn silence, and he was as stubbornly silent
when hewas shown Vronsky's picture. He was unmistakably bored by
Golenishtchev's conversation, and he did not attempt to oppose
him.
Anna Karenina |
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 Study of a Woman by Honore de Balzac: interpret as we please the strong, harsh tones of a "burgundian."
Here I must pause to put before all ignorant persons an explanation of
that word, derived from a very distinguished etymologist who wishes
his name kept secret.
"Burgundian" is the name given, since the reign of Charles VI., to
those noisy detonations, the result of which is to fling upon the
carpet or the clothes a little coal or ember, the trifling nucleus of
a conflagration. Heat or fire releases, they say, a bubble of air left
in the heart of the wood by a gnawing worm. "Inde amor, inde
burgundus." We tremble when we see the structure we had so carefully
erected between the logs rolling down like an avalanche. Oh! to build
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