| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Dynamiter by Robert Louis Stevenson and Fanny Van De Grift Stevenson: was gone - gone from the chief street of the city in the hour
of noon - and gone for ever. O God!' cried my father, 'by
what art do they thus spirit out of life the solid body?
What death do they command that leaves no traces? that this
material structure, these strong arms, this skeleton that can
resist the grave for centuries, should be thus reft in a
moment from the world of sense? A horror dwells in that
thought more awful than mere death.'
'Is there no hope in Grierson?' asked my mother.
'Dismiss the thought,' replied my father. 'He now knows all
that I can teach, and will do naught to save me. His power,
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte: of tenderness or affection, and yet I had been supremely happy. To
be near him, to hear him talk as he did talk, and to feel that he
thought me worthy to be so spoken to - capable of understanding and
duly appreciating such discourse - was enough.
'Yes, Edward Weston, I could indeed be happy in a house full of
enemies, if I had but one friend, who truly, deeply, and faithfully
loved me; and if that friend were you - though we might be far
apart - seldom to hear from each other, still more seldom to meet -
though toil, and trouble, and vexation might surround me, still -
it would be too much happiness for me to dream of! Yet who can
tell,' said I within myself, as I proceeded up the park, - 'who can
Agnes Grey |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Herodias by Gustave Flaubert: two projects: to conciliate the Arabs and win back their allegiance,
or to conclude an alliance with the Parthians. Under the pretext of
celebrating his birthday, he had planned to bring together, at a grand
banquet, the chiefs of his troops, the stewards of his domains, and
the most important men from the region about Galilee.
Antipas threw a keen glance along all the roads leading to Machaerus.
They were deserted. Eagles were sweeping through the air high above
his head; the soldiers of the guard, placed at intervals along the
ramparts, slept or dozed, leaning against the walls; all was silent
within the castle.
Suddenly he heard the sound of a distant voice, seeming to come from
Herodias |
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 Daisy Miller by Henry James: Winterbourne, to do him justice, as it were, mentioned to no one
that he had encountered Miss Miller, at midnight, in the Colosseum
with a gentleman; but nevertheless, a couple of days later, the fact
of her having been there under these circumstances was known to every
member of the little American circle, and commented accordingly.
Winterbourne reflected that they had of course known it
at the hotel, and that, after Daisy's return, there had been
an exchange of remarks between the porter and the cab driver.
But the young man was conscious, at the same moment, that it had
ceased to be a matter of serious regret to him that the little
American flirt should be "talked about" by low-minded menials.
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