| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Memories and Portraits by Robert Louis Stevenson: equal battle from afar; it is like his old primaeval days upon the
crags, a return to the sincerity of savage life from the
comfortable fictions of the civilised. And if it be delightful to
the Old Man, it is none the less profitable to his younger brother,
the conscientious gentleman I feel never quite sure of your urbane
and smiling coteries; I fear they indulge a man's vanities in
silence, suffer him to encroach, encourage him on to be an ass, and
send him forth again, not merely contemned for the moment, but
radically more contemptible than when he entered. But if I have a
flushed, blustering fellow for my opposite, bent on carrying a
point, my vanity is sure to have its ears rubbed, once at least, in
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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 Koran: And obey not any mean swearer, a back-biter, a walker about with
slander; a forbidder of good, a transgressor, a sinner; rude, and
base-born too; though he have wealth and sons!
When our signs are recited to him he says, 'Old folks' tales!'
We will brand him on the snout!
Verily, we have tried them as we tried the fellows of the garden
when they swore, 'We will cut its fruit at morn!'
But they made not the exception; and there came round about it an
encompassing calamity from thy Lord the while they slept; and on the
morrow it was as one the fruit of which is cut.
And they cried to each other in the morning, 'Go early to your tilth
The Koran |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Figure in the Carpet by Henry James: understand is that if you'll in your turn admit me to it you'll do
me a kindness for which I shall be lastingly grateful."
He had turned at last very red; I dare say he had begun by thinking
I had lost my wits. Little by little he followed me; on my own
side I stared with a livelier surprise. Then he spoke. "I don't
know what you're talking about."
He wasn't acting - it was the absurd truth.
"She DIDN'T tell you - ?"
"Nothing about Hugh Vereker."
I was stupefied; the room went round. It had been too good even
for that! "Upon your honour?"
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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 A Footnote to History by Robert Louis Stevenson: squabble that took place. A squabble, I say; but I am willing to
call it a riot. And this was the new fault of Laupepa; this it is
that was described by a German commodore as "the trampling upon by
Malietoa of the German Emperor." I pass the rhetoric by to examine
the point of liability. Four natives were brought to trial for
this horrid fact: not before a native judge, but before the German
magistrate of the tripartite municipality of Apia. One was
acquitted, one condemned for theft, and two for assault. On
appeal, not to Malietoa, but to the three consuls, the case was by
a majority of two to one returned to the magistrate and (as far as
I can learn) was then allowed to drop. Consul Becker himself laid
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