| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Beauty and The Beast by Bayard Taylor: misfortune--in short, how much brighter and happier the world would
become if each one expressed, everywhere and at all times, his true
and entire feeling! Why, even Evil would lose half its power!'
"There seemed to be so much practical wisdom in these views that we
were all dazzled and half-convinced at the start. So, when
Hollins, turning towards me, as he continued, exclaimed--`Come, why
should not this candor be adopted in our Arcadia? Will any one--
will you, Enos--commence at once by telling me now--to my face--my
principal faults?' I answered after a moment's reflection--`You
have a great deal of intellectual arrogance, and you are,
physically, very indolent'
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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: duty to give them to each other, and not die till the wedding
was accomplished. Harry shared this adoration to quite a
reasonable extent, for a brother; but his admiration for Philip
Malbone was one that Kate did not quite share. Harry's quieter
mood had been dazzled from childhood by Philip, who had always
been a privileged guest in the household. Kate's clear,
penetrating, buoyant nature had divined Phil's weaknesses, and
had sometimes laughed at them, even from her childhood; though
she did not dislike him, for she did not dislike anybody. But
Harry was magnetized by him very much as women were; believed
him true, because he was tender, and called him only fastidious
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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 Hellenica by Xenophon: outposts, first at one point and then at another of the beleaguering
circle. But the time eventually came when, search as they might by
every means, these picked defenders[13] could find no further store of
food within the walls, and they were forced to send to Agesilaus,
requesting a truce for an embassy to visit Sparta, adding that they
were resolved to leave it to the discretion of the authorities at
Lacedaemon to do with their city what they liked. Agesilaus granted a
pass to the embassy, but, at the same time, he was so angry at their
setting his personal authority aside, that he sent to his friends at
home and arranged that the fate of Phlius should be left to his
discretion. Meanwhile he proceeded to tighten the cordon of
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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 Tapestried Chamber by Walter Scott: British school.
Enough has been said and sung about
"The well-contested ground,
The warlike Border-land,"
to render the habits of the tribes who inhabited it before the
union of England and Scotland familiar to most of your readers.
The rougher and sterner features of their character were softened
by their attachment to the fine arts, from which has arisen the
saying that on the frontiers every dale had its battle, and every
river its song. A rude species of chivalry was in constant use,
and single combats were practised as the amusement of the few
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