| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: becoming Jeddak of Helium, but that I would be the
means of sealing Dejah Thoris' fate--of consigning her,
through my refusal, to the horrors of the arena of Issus.
For a moment I was perplexed, but for a moment only.
The proud daughter of a thousand Jeddaks would choose
death to a dishonorable alliance such as this, nor could
John Carter do less for Helium than his Princess would do.
Then I turned to Zat Arras.
"There can be no alliance," I said, "between a traitor to
Helium and a prince of the House of Tardos Mors. I
do not believe, Zat Arras, that the great Jeddak is dead."
The Gods of Mars |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Ion by Plato: ION: There again you are right.
SOCRATES: Then you are the interpreters of interpreters?
ION: Precisely.
SOCRATES: I wish you would frankly tell me, Ion, what I am going to ask of
you: When you produce the greatest effect upon the audience in the
recitation of some striking passage, such as the apparition of Odysseus
leaping forth on the floor, recognized by the suitors and casting his
arrows at his feet, or the description of Achilles rushing at Hector, or
the sorrows of Andromache, Hecuba, or Priam,--are you in your right mind?
Are you not carried out of yourself, and does not your soul in an ecstasy
seem to be among the persons or places of which you are speaking, whether
|
| 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: to-morrow? No, I will not bring evil upon you; I leave Brittany," she
said, observing hesitation in his eyes. "I return to Fougeres now,
where you cannot come to me--"
"I can! and if to-morrow you see smoke on the rocks of Saint-Sulpice
you will know that I shall be with you at night, your lover, your
husband,--what you will that I be to you; I brave all!"
"Ah! Alphonse, you love me well," she said, passionately, "to risk
your life before you give it to me."
He did not answer; he looked at her and her eyes fell; but he read in
her ardent face a passion equal to his own, and he held out his arms
to her. A sort of madness overcame her, and she let herself fall
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 Tom Sawyer, Detective by Mark Twain: But the next time I looked at Tom I got the cold shivers.
Why, he was in the brownest study you ever see--miles and
miles away. He warn't hearing a word Lem Beebe was saying;
and when he got through he was still in that brown-study,
just the same. Our lawyer joggled him, and then he looked
up startled, and says, "Take the witness if you want him.
Lemme alone--I want to think."
Well, that beat me. I couldn't understand it. And Benny
and her mother--oh, they looked sick, they was so troubled.
They shoved their veils to one side and tried to get his eye,
but it warn't any use, and I couldn't get his eye either.
|
