| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift: And besides, it is not improbable that some scrupulous people
might be apt to censure such a practice, (although indeed very
unjustly) as a little bordering upon cruelty, which, I confess,
hath always been with me the strongest objection against any
project, how well soever intended.
But in order to justify my friend, he confessed, that this
expedient was put into his head by the famous Salmanaazor, a
native of the island Formosa, who came from thence to London,
above twenty years ago, and in conversation told my friend, that
in his country, when any young person happened to be put to
death, the executioner sold the carcass to persons of quality, as
A Modest Proposal |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Polly of the Circus by Margaret Mayo: "I don' like no woman what's allus braggin' 'bout her clean
floors," answered Mandy, shortly. She turned out the last light,
and tiptoed upstairs, trying not to disturb the pastor.
John Douglas was busy already with pencil and paper, making notes
of the plans for the church and parsonage, which he would perfect
later on. Alas, for Douglas's day dreams! It was not many weeks
before he understood with a heavy heart that the deacons were far
too dull and uninspired to share his faith in beauty as an aid to
man's spiritual uplift.
"We think we've done pretty well by this church," said Deacon
Strong, who was the business head, the political boss, and the
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Chouans by Honore de Balzac: that she walks without assistance. It was a miracle--a miracle
intended, like the resurrection of Marie Lambrequin to prove to you
that God will never forsake the Breton cause so long as the people
fight for his servants and for the king. Therefore, my dear brothers,
if you wish to save your souls and show yourselves defenders of God
and the king, you will obey all the orders of the man whom God has
sent to us, and whom we call THE GARS. Then indeed, you will no longer
be Mahometans; you will rank with all the gars of Brittany under the
flag of God. You can take from the pockets of the Blues the money they
have stolen from you; for, if the fields have to go uncultivated while
you are making war, God and the king will deliver to you the spoils of
The Chouans |
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 Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson: still Alan, to whom I was so much beholden, on my hands; and I
felt besides a heavy charge in the matter of the murder and James
of the Glens. On both these heads I unbosomed to Rankeillor the
next morning, walking to and fro about six of the clock before
the house of Shaws, and with nothing in view but the fields and
woods that had been my ancestors' and were now mine. Even as I
spoke on these grave subjects, my eye would take a glad bit of a
run over the prospect, and my heart jump with pride.
About my clear duty to my friend, the lawyer had no doubt. I
must help him out of the county at whatever risk; but in the case
of James, he was of a different mind.
Kidnapped |
