| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Albert Savarus by Honore de Balzac: Watteville, and that means all the aristocracy of Besancon. Amedee de
Soulas and Vauchelles, who will both vote for you, have won over the
young men; Madame de Watteville will get the old ones. As to my
electors, they are infallible."
"And who on earth has gained over Madame de Chavoncourt?" asked
Savarus.
"Ask me no questions," replied the Abbe. "Monsieur de Chavoncourt, who
has three daughters to marry, is not capable of increasing his wealth.
Though Vauchelles marries the eldest without anything from her father,
because her old aunt is to settle something on her, what is to become
of the two others? Sidonie is sixteen, and your ambition is as good as
Albert Savarus |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Maid Marian by Thomas Love Peacock: "A village, then, if it be but large enough to furnish an inn?"
"There is Gamwell just by, but there is no inn nearer than the nearest town."
"An abbey, then?"
"There is no abbey nearer than the nearest inn."
"A house then, or a cottage, where I may obtain hospitality for the night?"
"Hospitality!" said one of the young women; "you have not far to seek
for that. Do you not know that you are in the neighbourhood of Gamwell-Hall?"
"So far from it," said the knight, "that I never heard the name
of Gamwell-Hall before."
"Never heard of Gamwell-Hall?" exclaimed all the young women together,
who could as soon have dreamed of his never having heard of the sky.
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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 Pocket Diary Found in the Snow by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: trail completely.
Muller stood on the top of this knoll at a spot where the street
divided. Towards the right it led down into a factory suburb;
towards the left the road led on to a residence colony, and straight
ahead the way was open, between fields, pastures and farms, over
moors, to another town of considerable size lying beside a river.
Muller knew all this, but his knowledge of the locality was of
little avail, for all traces of the carriage wheels were lost.
He followed each one of the streets for a little distance, but to
no purpose. The wind blew the snow up in such heaps that it was
quite impossible to follow any trail under such conditions.
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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 Caesar's Commentaries in Latin by Julius Caesar: unde erant profectae referrentur, aliae ad inferiorem partem insulae, quae
est propius solis occasum, magno suo cum periculo deicerentur; quae tamen
ancoris iactis cum fluctibus complerentur, necessario adversa nocte in
altum provectae continentem petierunt.
Eadem nocte accidit ut esset luna plena, qui dies a maritimos aestus
maximos in Oceano efficere consuevit, nostrisque id erat incognitum. Ita
uno tempore et longas naves, [quibus Caesar exercitum transportandum
curaverat,] quas Caesar in aridum subduxerat, aestus complebat, et
onerarias, quae ad ancoras erant deligatae, tempestas adflictabat, neque
ulla nostris facultas aut administrandi ` aut auxiliandi dabatur.
Compluribus navibus fractis, reliquae cum essent funibus, ancoris
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