| 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: private interests unconfessed which gave vital force to this idea. The
reasonable folk in opposition to this scheme, who were indeed but few,
were regarded as old women. No one talked of anything but of Savaron's
two projects. And thus, after eighteen months of underground labor,
the ambitious lawyer had succeeded in stirring to its depths the most
stagnant town in France, the most unyielding to foreign influence, in
finding the length of its foot, to use a vulgar phrase, and exerting a
preponderant influence without stirring from his own room. He had
solved the singular problem of how to be powerful without being
popular.
In the course of this winter he won seven lawsuits for various priests
Albert Savarus |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac: "Imagine, too, that I had just made some progress with the Comte
de Restaud; for I should tell you, madame," he went on, turning
to the Duchess with a mixture of humility and malice in his
manner, "that as yet I am only a poor devil of a student, very
much alone in the world, and very poor----"
"You should not tell us that, M. de Rastignac. We women never
care about anything that no one else will take."
"Bah!" said Eugene. "I am only two-and-twenty, and I must make up
my mind to the drawbacks of my time of life. Besides, I am
confessing my sins, and it would be impossible to kneel in a more
charming confessional; you commit your sins in one drawing-room,
Father Goriot |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Where There's A Will by Mary Roberts Rinehart: shelter-house like a dog to its kennel, only this time--but
that's ahead, too.
Well, the family went back to town in a buzz of indignation, and
I carried my waistcoat buttons and my Anatomy out to the
spring-house and had a good cry. There was a man named Thoburn
who was crazy for the property as a summer hotel, and every
time I shut my eyes I could see "Thoburn House" over the veranda
and children sailing paper boats in the mineral spring.
Sure enough, the next afternoon Mr. Thoburn drove out from
Finleyville with a suit case, and before he'd taken off his
overcoat he came out to the spring-house.
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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 Polity of Athenians and Lacedaemonians by Xenophon: found either to have been already modified or else to be still
undergoing modifications at this moment.
[1] Or, "magistracy"; the word {arkhe} at once signifies rule and
governmental office.
Lycurgus laid it down as law that the king shall offer in behalf of
the state all public sacrifices, as being himself of divine
descent,[2] and whithersoever the state shall despatch her armies the
king shall take the lead. He granted him to receive honorary gifts of
the things offered in sacrifice, and he appointed him choice land in
many of the provincial cities, enough to satisfy moderate needs
without excess of wealth. And in order that the kings also might camp
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