| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Economist by Xenophon: having stored it in the hold of the very vessel in which they sail
themselves."
[41] Or, "their treasure." {auton} throughout, which indeed is the
humour of the passage. The love of John Barleycorn is their master
passion.
To these remarks Ischomachus replied: You jest, Socrates; but still I
hold to my belief: that man is fond of bricks and mortar who no sooner
has built one house than he must needs sell it and proceed to build
another.
To be sure, Ischomachus (I answered), and for my part I assure you,
upon oath, I, Socrates, do verily and indeed believe[42] you that all
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Lesser Bourgeoisie by Honore de Balzac: Accordingly, Theodose went, between seven and eight o'clock, to the
den of the "banker of the poor," whom Dutocq had notified of his
coming. Cerizet received him in the horrible kitchen where miseries
and sorrows were chopped and cooked, as we have seen already. The pair
then walked up and down, precisely like two animals in a cage, while
mutually playing the following scene:--
"Have you brought the fifteen thousand francs?"
"No, but I have them at home."
"Why not have them in your pocket?" asked Cerizet, sharply.
"I'll tell you," replied Theodose, who, as he walked from the rue
Saint-Dominique to the Estrapade, had decided on his course of action.
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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 The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: fighting man, though Turan did not see it, nor Tara who came from
a long line of fighting men; but Ghek might have smiled had he
known how.
Turan permitted the flier to drift closer behind the screening
hills, and then when he could advance no farther without fear of
discovery, he dropped the craft gently to ground in a little
ravine, and leaping over the side made her fast to a stout tree.
For several moments they discussed their plans--whether it would
be best to wait where they were until darkness hid their
movements and then approach the city in search of food and water,
or approach it now, taking advantage of what cover they could,
The Chessmen of Mars |
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 The Reef by Edith Wharton: Darrow wants to call me a damned ass too you're not to stop
him!"
It brought her back to a sharper sense of her central peril:
of the secret to be kept from him at whatever cost to her
racked nerves.
"Oh, you know, he doesn't always wait for orders!" On the
whole it sounded better than she'd feared.
"You mean he's called me one already?" He accepted the fact
with his gayest laugh. "Well, that saves a lot of trouble;
now we can pass to the order of the day----" he broke off
and glanced at the clock--"which is, you know, dear, that
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