| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Bride of Lammermoor by Walter Scott: in secret domestic crimes, the severe fate to which they were
condemned for the imaginary guilt of witchcraft.
Such was Aislie Gourlay, whom, in order to attain the absolute
subjugation of Lucy Ashton's mind, her mother thought it fitting
to place near her person. A woman of less consequence than Lady
Ashton had not dared to take such a step; but her high rank and
strength of character set her above the censure of the world, and
she was allowed to have seleced for her daughter's attendant the
best and most experienced sick-nurse and
"mediciner" in the neighbourhood, where an inferior person would
have fallen under the reproach of calling in the assistance of a
The Bride of Lammermoor |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy: my minor key."
"With all my heart," said the first fiddle. "We've let back
our strings, that's true, but we can soon pull 'em up again.
Sound A, neighbours, and give the man a stave."
"I don't care a curse what the words be," said Henchard.
"Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue's March or
the cherubim's warble--'tis all the same to me if 'tis good
harmony, and well put out."
"Well--heh, heh--it may be we can do that, and not a man
among us that have sat in the gallery less than twenty
year," said the leader of the band. "As 'tis Sunday,
The Mayor of Casterbridge |
