| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde: But how can I do it? Letters arrive for him every moment of the day.
His secretaries open them and hand them to him. I dare not ask the
servants to bring me his letters. It would be impossible. Oh! why
don't you tell me what to do?
LORD GORING. Pray be calm, Lady Chiltern, and answer the questions I
am going to put to you. You said his secretaries open his letters.
LADY CHILTERN. Yes.
LORD GORING. Who is with him to-day? Mr. Trafford, isn't it?
LADY CHILTERN. No. Mr. Montford, I think.
LORD GORING. You can trust him?
LADY CHILTERN. [With a gesture of despair.] Oh! how do I know?
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Malbone: An Oldport Romance by Thomas Wentworth Higginson: "I am not alone," said Aunt Jane; "I have my man in the boat to
watch through the window. What a singular being he is! I think
he spends hours in that boat, and what he does I can't
conceive. There it is, quietly anchored, and there is he in it.
I never saw anybody but myself who could get up so much
industry out of nothing. He has all his housework there, a
broom and a duster, and I dare say he has a cooking-stove and a
gridiron. He sits a little while, then he stoops down, then he
goes to the other end. Sometimes he goes ashore in that absurd
little tub, with a stick that he twirls at one end."
"That is called sculling," interrupted Kate.
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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 An Old Maid by Honore de Balzac: Bousquier's appearance was that of a bachelor of thirty-six, of medium
height, plump as a purveyor, proud of his vigorous calves, with a
strongly marked countenance, a flattened nose, the nostrils garnished
with hair, black eyes with thick lashes, from which darted shrewd
glances like those of Monsieur de Talleyrand, though somewhat dulled.
He still wore republican whiskers and his hair very long; his hands,
adorned with bunches of hair on each knuckle, showed the power of his
muscular system in their prominent blue veins. He had the chest of the
Farnese Hercules, and shoulders fit to carry the stocks. Such
shoulders are seen nowadays only at Tortoni's. This wealth of
masculine vigor counted for much in du Bousquier's relations with
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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 Eugenie Grandet by Honore de Balzac: "Yes."
"Holy Virgin! what a beautiful altar-cloth it would make for the
parish church! My dear darling monsieur, give it to the church, and
you'll save your soul; if you don't, you'll lose it. Oh, how nice you
look in it! I must call mademoiselle to see you."
"Come, Nanon, if Nanon you are, hold your tongue; let me go to bed.
I'll arrange my things to-morrow. If my dressing-gown pleases you so
much, you shall save your soul. I'm too good a Christian not to give
it to you when I go away, and you can do what you like with it."
Nanon stood rooted to the ground, gazing at Charles and unable to put
faith into his words.
Eugenie Grandet |
