| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Message by Honore de Balzac: the truth! Any pain would be less keen than this suspense."
I answered by two tears wrung from me by that strange tone of
hers. She leaned against a tree with a faint, sharp cry.
"Madame, here comes your husband!"
"Have I a husband?" and with those words she fled away out of
sight.
"Well," cried the Count, "dinner is growing cold.--Come,
monsieur."
Thereupon I followed the master of the house into the dining-
room. Dinner was served with all the luxury which we have learned
to expect in Paris. There were five covers laid, three for the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Albert Savarus by Honore de Balzac: always be a Minister who adds a hundred thousand francs a year to your
amazing talents."
"Monsieur l'Abbe, if Mademoiselle de Watteville had three times her
fortune, and adored me into the bargain, it would be impossible that I
should marry her--"
"You are married?" exclaimed the Abbe.
"Not in church nor before the Maire, but morally speaking," said
Savarus.
"That is even worse when a man cares about it as you seem to care,"
replied the Abbe. "Everything that is not done, can be undone. Do not
stake your fortune and your prospects on a woman's liking, any more
Albert Savarus |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Theaetetus by Plato: feet. This is applicable to all philosophers. The philosopher is
unacquainted with the world; he hardly knows whether his neighbour is a man
or an animal. For he is always searching into the essence of man, and
enquiring what such a nature ought to do or suffer different from any
other. Hence, on every occasion in private life and public, as I was
saying, when he appears in a law-court or anywhere, he is the joke, not
only of maid-servants, but of the general herd, falling into wells and
every sort of disaster; he looks such an awkward, inexperienced creature,
unable to say anything personal, when he is abused, in answer to his
adversaries (for he knows no evil of any one); and when he hears the
praises of others, he cannot help laughing from the bottom of his soul at
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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 Koran: fathers, or their sons, or their brethren, or their clansmen.
He has written faith in their hearts, and He aids them with a spirit
from Him; and will make them enter into gardens beneath which rivers
flow, to dwell therein for aye! God is well pleased with them, and
they well pleased with Him: they are God's crew; ay, God's crew,
they shall prosper!
THE CHAPTER OF THE EMIGRATION
(LIX. Medinah.)
IN the name of the merciful and compassionate God.
What is in the heavens and in the earth celebrates God's praises; He
is the mighty, the wise!
The Koran |
