| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley: So, again, when in the year 1812 the volcano of St. Vincent, in
the West India Islands, poured out torrents of lava, after mighty
earthquakes which shook all that part of the world, a strange
thing happened (about which I have often heard from those who saw
it) in the island of Barbados, several hundred miles away. For
when the sun rose in the morning (it was a Sunday morning), the
sky remained more dark than any night, and all the poor negroes
crowded terrified out of their houses into the streets, fancying
the end of the world was come. But a learned man who was there,
finding that, though the sun was risen, it was still pitchy dark,
opened his window, and found that it was stuck fast by something
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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 Riverman by Stewart Edward White: people must have entered that apartment. In a moment or so the
curtains to the hall parted to frame the servant.
"Mrs. Bishop wishes to know, miss," said that functionary, "if
you're not coming to breakfast."
Orde sprang to his feet.
"Haven't you had your breakfast yet?" he cried, conscience stricken.
"Didn't you gather the fact that I'm just up?" she mocked him. "I
assure you it doesn't matter. The family has just come down."
"But," cried Orde, "I wasn't here until nine o'clock. I thought, of
course, you'd be around. I'm mighty sorry--"
"Oh, la la!" she cried, cutting him short. "What a bother about
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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 Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: "And what of Sidney Clifford?"
"He is considering," said Battiscomb. "I was to have seen him again at
the end of the month; meanwhile, he would take no resolve."
"Lord Gervase Scoresby?" questioned Grey, less carelessly.
Battiscomb half turned to him, then faced the Duke again as he made
answer, "Mr. Wilding there, can tell you more concerning Lord Gervase."
All eyes swept round to Wilding who sat in silence, listening;
Monmouth's were laden with inquiry and some anxiety. Wilding shook his
head slowly, sadly. "You must not depend upon him," he answered; "Lord
Gervase was not yet ripe. A little longer and I think I must have won
him for Your Grace."
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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 The Soul of Man by Oscar Wilde: people want because they want it; or any hideous cant about self-
sacrifice, which is merely a survival of savage mutilation. In
fact, it does not come to man with any claims upon him at all. It
comes naturally and inevitably out of man. It is the point to
which all development tends. It is the differentiation to which
all organisms grow. It is the perfection that is inherent in every
mode of life, and towards which every mode of life quickens. And
so Individualism exercises no compulsion over man. On the
contrary, it says to man that he should suffer no compulsion to be
exercised over him. It does not try to force people to be good.
It knows that people are good when they are let alone. Man will
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