| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Man of Business by Honore de Balzac: "Ten days afterwards, little Croizeau, perched on his dignity, said
almost exactly the same thing, for the fair Antonia's benefit,"
continued Desroches.
" 'Child,' said he, 'your reading-room is a hole of a place. You will
lose your complexion; the gas will ruin your eyesight. You ought to
come out of it; and, look here, let us take advantage of an
opportunity. I have found a young lady for you that asks no better
than to buy your reading-room. She is a ruined woman with nothing
before her but a plunge into the river; but she had four thousand
francs in cash, and the best thing to do is to turn them to account,
so as to feed and educate a couple of children.'
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A treatise on Good Works by Dr. Martin Luther: temporal power. Therefore, we must resist it when it does not do
right, and not resist the temporal power although it does wrong.
For the poor people believe and do as they see the spiritual
power believing and doing; if they are not set an example and are
not taught, then they also believe nothing and do nothing; since
this power is instituted for no other reason than to lead the
people in faith to God. All this is not found in the temporal
power; for it may do and leave undone what it will, my faith to
God still goes its way and works its works, because I need not
believe what it believes.
Therefore, also, the temporal power is a very small thing in
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