| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Unconscious Comedians by Honore de Balzac: "Yes," said Canalis, laughing.
Though Canalis had already been a minister, he was at this moment
tending toward the Right.
"Ah! but you had a fine triumph just now," said Maxime to Canalis; "it
was you who forced the minister into the tribune."
"And made him lie like a charlatan," returned Canalis.
"A worthy victory," said the honest Giraud. "In his place what would
you have done?"
"I should have lied."
"It isn't called lying," said Maxime de Trailles; "it is called
protecting the crown."
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Talisman by Walter Scott: "And a proper quarrel it were," answered the Hamako, "for a
Crusader to do battle in--for the sake of an unbaptized dog, to
combat one of his own holy faith! Art thou come forth to the
wilderness to fight for the Crescent against the Cross? A goodly
soldier of God art thou to listen to those who sing the praises
of Satan!"
Yet, while he spoke thus, he arose himself, and, suffering the
Saracen to rise also, returned him his cangiar, or poniard.
"Thou seest to what a point of peril thy presumption hath brought
thee," continued he of the goat-skins, now addressing Sheerkohf,
"and by what weak means thy practised skill and boasted agility
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Don Quixote by Miquel de Cervantes: object and in the hope of making her escape by her speed; but the
attempt failed, for the chief galley was one of the fastest vessels
afloat, and overhauled her so rapidly that they on board the
brigantine saw clearly there was no possibility of escaping, and the
rais therefore would have had them drop their oars and give themselves
up so as not to provoke the captain in command of our galleys to
anger. But chance, directing things otherwise, so ordered it that just
as the chief galley came close enough for those on board the vessel to
hear the shouts from her calling on them to surrender, two Toraquis,
that is to say two Turks, both drunken, that with a dozen more were on
board the brigantine, discharged their muskets, killing two of the
Don Quixote |
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 Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac: and had scarcely exchanged a few words with the Vicomtesse; he
had been content to single out a goddess among this throng of
Parisian divinities, one of those women who are sure to attract a
young man's fancy.
The Comtesse Anastasie de Restaud was tall and gracefully made;
she had one of the prettiest figures in Paris. Imagine a pair of
great dark eyes, a magnificently moulded hand, a shapely foot.
There was a fiery energy in her movements; the Marquis de
Ronquerolles had called her "a thoroughbred," "a pure pedigree,"
these figures of speech have replaced the "heavenly angel" and
Ossianic nomenclature; the old mythology of love is extinct,
Father Goriot |
