| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: shepherds from the hills had first announced in the peopled
districts this formidable irruption, and wherever the clansmen
were summoned out, they were killed, disarmed, and dispersed, by
an enemy who had anticipated their motions. Major Dalgetty, who
had been sent forward against Inverary with the few horse of the
army that were fit for service, managed his matters so well, that
he had very nearly surprised Argyle, as he expressed it, INTER
POCULA; and it was only a rapid flight by water which saved that
chief from death or captivity. But the punishment which Argyle
himself escaped fell heavily upon his country and clan, and the
ravages committed by Montrose on that devoted land, although too
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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 House of Dust by Conrad Aiken: Murmur away at hollowed walls of stone.
And here, in a roofless room where it was raining,
She bore the patient sorrow of rain alone.
Your words were walls which suddenly froze around her.
Your words were windows,--large enough for moonlight,
Too small to let her through.
Your letters--fragrant cloisters faint with music.
The music that assuaged her there was you.
How many times she heard your step ascending
Yet never saw your face!
She heard them turn again, ring slowly fainter,
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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 Brother of Daphne by Dornford Yates: the village on whose skirts stood the house that was our bourne.
When I returned to the camp to find them gone I was rather bored.
The note that they had left made it worse:
"Regret compelled retire owing to serious outflanking movement on
part of the Blues. Sorry, but that's the worst of being picket.
The natural intuition which characterizes all BSS will enable you
to discern our route. So long."
Although I tried four times- mainly because Jonah had my
matches- I was unable to discern their route. At last I came
down to shouting, but only succeeded in arousing the curiosity of
three cows and a well-nourished ram. The latter was so well
The Brother of Daphne |
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 Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland by Olive Schreiner: with his throat cut--and what do you think he said to me? Why, I hadn't
been gone six hours when those two women skooted! It was all the big one.
What do you think she did? She took every ounce of ball and cartridge she
could find in that hut, and my old Martini-Henry, and even the lid off the
tea-box to melt into bullets for the old muzzle-loaders they have; and off
she went, and took the young one too. The fellow wrote me they didn't
touch another thing: they left the shawls and dresses I gave them kicking
about the huts, and went off naked with only their blankets and the
ammunition on their heads. A nigger man met them twenty miles off, and he
said they were skooting up for Lo Magundi's country as fast as they could
go.
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