| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The School For Scandal by Richard Brinsley Sheridan: SURFACE. Sir Peter--Oons--the Devil!
LADY TEAZLE. Sir Peter! O Lud! I'm ruined! I'm ruin'd!
SERVANT. Sir, 'twasn't I let him in.
LADY TEAZLE. O I'm undone--what will become of me now Mr. Logick.--
Oh! mercy, He's on the Stairs--I'll get behind here--and if ever
I'm so imprudent again----
[Goes behind the screen--]
SURFACE. Give me that--Book!----
[Sits down--SERVANT pretends to adjust his Hair--]
Enter SIR PETER
SIR PETER. Aye--ever improving himself!--Mr. Surface--
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley: Nothing could be more reasonable; and Amyas asked him to name his
terms.
"You take the gold, and we will take the prisoners."
"And what will you do with them?" asked Amyas, who recollected poor
John Oxenham's hapless compact made in like case.
"Eat them," quoth the cacique, innocently enough.
Amyas whistled.
"Humph!" said Cary. "The old proverb comes true--'the more the
merrier: but the fewer the better fare.' I think we will do
without our red friends for this time."
Ayacanora, who had been preaching war like a very Boadicea, was
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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 Marriage Contract by Honore de Balzac: Among these necessities was that of confiding the truth to her notary,
for whom she sent in the morning as soon as she rose. She was forced
to reveal to him a secret defaulting she had never been willing to
admit to herself, for she had steadily advanced to the abyss, relying
on some chance accident, which never happened, to relieve her. There
rose in her soul a feeling against Paul, that was neither dislike, nor
aversion, nor anything, as yet, unkind; but HE was the cause of this
crisis; the opposing party in this secret suit; he became, without
knowing it, an innocent enemy she was forced to conquer. What human
being did ever yet love his or her dupe? Compelled to deceive and
trick him if she could, the Spanish woman resolved, like other women,
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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 Ball at Sceaux by Honore de Balzac: were to themselves. At about two in the morning, refreshments were
served in an immense corridor, where, to leave persons of the same
coterie free to meet each other, the tables were arranged as in a
restaurant. By one of those accidents which always happen to lovers,
Mademoiselle de Fontaine found herself at a table next to that at
which the more important guests were seated. Maximilien was of the
group. Emilie, who lent an attentive ear to her neighbors'
conversation, overheard one of those dialogues into which a young
woman so easily falls with a young man who has the grace and style of
Maximilien Longueville. The lady talking to the young banker was a
Neapolitan duchess, whose eyes shot lightning flashes, and whose skin
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