| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte: see the light.
Habitual associates are known to exercise a great influence over
each other's minds and manners. Those whose actions are for ever
before our eyes, whose words are ever in our ears, will naturally
lead us, albeit against our will, slowly, gradually, imperceptibly,
perhaps, to act and speak as they do. I will not presume to say
how far this irresistible power of assimilation extends; but if one
civilised man were doomed to pass a dozen years amid a race of
intractable savages, unless he had power to improve them, I greatly
question whether, at the close of that period, he would not have
become, at least, a barbarian himself. And I, as I could not make
Agnes Grey |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Bride of Lammermoor by Walter Scott: Ravenswood, mortified at his officiousness, yet not knowing how
to contradict him, without the risk of giving rise to scenes yet
more ridiculous.
Caleb saw his advantage, and resolved to improve it. But first,
observing that the Lord Keeper's servant entered the apartment
and spoke apart with his master, he took the same opportunity to
whisper a few words into Ravenswood's ear: "Haud your tongue,
for heaven's sake, sir; if it's my pleasure to hazard my soul in
telling lees for the honour of the family, it's nae business o'
yours; and if ye let me gang on quietly, I'se be moderate in my
banquet; but if ye contradict me, deil but I dress ye a dinner
The Bride of Lammermoor |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Melmoth Reconciled by Honore de Balzac: again. "I have come back from my journey.--Jenny," he added, looking
at the bewildered waiting-maid, "you seem to me to be a good sort of
girl. You have no mistress now. Come here. This evening you shall have
a master."
Aquilina, who felt safe nowhere, went at once with the sergeant to the
house of one of her friends. But all Leon's movements were
suspiciously watched by the police, and after a time he and three of
his friends were arrested. The whole story may be found in the
newspapers of that day.
Castanier felt that he had undergone a mental as well as a physical
transformation. The Castanier of old no longer existed--the boy, the
|
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 $30,000 Bequest and Other Stories by Mark Twain: Don't cry. There--put your cheek to mine. Be comforted.
I wish to live. I will live if I can. Ah, what could she
do without me! . . . Does she often speak of me?--but I know she does."
"Oh, all the time--all the time!"
"My sweet child! She wrote the note the moment she came home?"
"Yes--the first moment. She would not wait to take off her things."
"I knew it. It is her dear, impulsive, affectionate way. I knew it
without asking, but I wanted to hear you say it. The petted wife
knows she is loved, but she makes her husband tell her so every day,
just for the joy of hearing it. . . . She used the pen this time.
That is better; the pencil-marks could rub out, and I should grieve
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