| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte by Karl Marx: the bloom of youth. The Constitution, which had its weak spot, like
Achilles, had also, like Achilles, the presentiment that it would depart
by premature death. It was enough for the pure republicans, engaged at
the work of framing a constitution, to cast a glance from the misty
heights of their ideal republic down upon the profane world in order to
realize how the arrogance of the royalists, of the Bonapartists, of the
democrats, of the Communists, rose daily, together with their own
discredit, and in the same measure as they approached the completion of
their legislative work of art, without Thetis having for this purpose to
leave the sea and impart the secret to them. They ought to outwit fate
by means of constitutional artifice, through Section 111 of 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 Enemies of Books by William Blades: "Of course, we also, in Holland, have many Enemies of books, and if I were
happy enough to have your spirit and style I would try and write a companion
volume to yours. Now I think the best thing I can do is to give you
somewhat of my experience. You say that the discovery of printing has made
the destruction of anybody's books difficult. At this I am bound to say that
the Inquisition did succeed most successfully, by burning heretical books,
in destroying numerous volumes invaluable for their wholesome contents.
Indeed, I beg to state to you the amazing fact that here in Holland exists an
Ultramontane Society called `Old Paper,'which is under the sanction of the six
Catholic Bishops of the Netherlands, and is spread over the whole kingdom.
The openly-avowed object of this Society is to buy up and to destroy
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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 First Men In The Moon by H. G. Wells: end was not yet. And then, following me from Amalfi to Algiers, there
reached me (it is now about six months ago) one of the most astounding
communications I have ever been fated to receive. Briefly, it informed me
that Mr. Julius Wendigee, a Dutch electrician, who has been experimenting
with certain apparatus akin to the apparatus used by Mr. Tesla in America,
in the hope of discovering some method of communication with Mars, was
receiving day by day a curiously fragmentary message in English, which was
indisputably emanating from Mr. Cavor in the moon.
At first I thought the thing was an elaborate practical by some one who
had seen the manuscript of my narrative. I answered Mr. Wendigee
jestingly, but he replied in a manner that put such suspicion altogether
The First Men In The Moon |
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 Letters of Two Brides by Honore de Balzac: many victories were needed before Josephine could see the great
Napoleon in the little Bonaparte whom she had married.
Poor Gaston is innocent enough to think he knows the measure of my
love! He simply has not an idea of it, but to you I must make it
clear; for this letter, Renee, is something in the nature of a last
will and testament. Weigh well what I am going to say, I beg of you.
At this moment I am confident of being loved as perhaps not another
women on this earth, nor have I a shadow of doubt as to the perfect
happiness of our wedded life, to which I bring a feeling hitherto
unknown to me. Yes, for the first time in my life, I know the delight
of being swayed by passion. That which every woman seeks in love will
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