| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Historical Lecturers and Essays by Charles Kingsley: has a more exquisite revenge to take, and sends for Harpagus, who
likewise confessed the truth. The wily old tyrant has naught but
gentle words. It is best as it is. He has been very sorry himself
for the child, and Mandane's reproaches had gone to his heart. "Let
Harpagus go home and send his son to be a companion to the new-found
prince. To-night there will be great sacrifices in honour of the
child's safety, and Harpagus is to be a guest at the banquet."
Harpagus comes; and after eating his fill, is asked how he likes the
king's meat? He gives the usual answer; and a covered basket is put
before him, out of which he is to take--in Median fashion--what he
likes. He finds in it the head and hands and feet of his own son.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tales of the Klondyke by Jack London: do. In the morning I gave him his fair share of grub and started
him on the trail alone. Then the woman and I broke camp, packed
the sleds, and harnessed the dogs. By midday, when the sun mocked
us, we would overtake the man, with the tears frozen on his
cheeks, and pass him. In the night we made camp, set aside his
fair share of grub, and spread his furs. Also we made a big fire,
that he might see. And hours afterward he would come limping in,
and eat his grub with moans and groans, and sleep. He was not
sick, this man. He was only trail-sore and tired, and weak with
hunger. But Passuk and I were trail-sore and tired, and weak with
hunger; and we did all the work and he did none. But he had the
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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 Europeans by Henry James: of Mr. Wentworth's numerous acres, and of a remarkable pine
grove which lay upon the further side of it, planted upon
a steep embankment and haunted by the summer breeze.
The murmur of the air in the far off tree-tops had
a strange distinctness; it was almost articulate.
One afternoon the young man came out of his painting-room
and passed the open door of Eugenia's little salon.
Within, in the cool dimness, he saw his sister, dressed in white,
buried in her arm-chair, and holding to her face an immense bouquet.
Opposite to her sat Clifford Wentworth, twirling his hat.
He had evidently just presented the bouquet to the Baroness,
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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 Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas: their houses like Hector and Priam in the city of Troy, and
the women wept, and then the walls laughed, and then five
hundred beggarly fellows clapped their hands, and cried,
`Kill! kill!' when not one musketeer was hurt. Mordioux! you
will never see anything like that."
"You are very hard upon the king, my dear Monsieur
d'Artagnan; and yet you scarcely know him."
"I! Listen, Raoul. Day by day, hour by hour, -- take note of
my words, -- I will predict what he will do. The cardinal
being dead, he will fret; very well, that is the least silly
thing he will do, particularly if he does not shed a tear."
Ten Years Later |
