Today's Stichomancy for Matt Damon

The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Margret Howth: A Story of To-day by Rebecca Harding Davis:

Margret lifted them back, so quietly that he did not feel her.

"You'll call the Republic a sham next!" said the Doctor, coolly aggravating.

"The Republic!" The old man quickened his tone, like a war-horse scenting the battle near at hand. "There never was a thinner- crusted Devil's egg in the world than democracy. I think I've told you that before?"

"I think you have," said the other, dryly.

"You always were a Tory, Mr. Howth," said his wife, in her placid, creamy way. "It is in the blood, I think, Doctor. The Howths fought under Cornwallis, you know."

Margret Howth: A Story of To-day

The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Richard III by William Shakespeare:

ALL. Amen. BUCKINGHAM. To-morrow may it please you to be crown'd? GLOUCESTER. Even when you please, for you will have it so. BUCKINGHAM. To-morrow, then, we will attend your Grace; And so, most joyfully, we take our leave. GLOUCESTER. [To the BISHOPS] Come, let us to our holy work again. Farewell, my cousin; farewell, gentle friends. Exeunt

Richard III

The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Cratylus by Plato:

is in its very sound a burden: chapa expresses the flow of soul: terpsis is apo tou terpnou, and terpnon is properly erpnon, because the sensation of pleasure is likened to a breath (pnoe) which creeps (erpei) through the soul: euphrosune is named from pheresthai, because the soul moves in harmony with nature: epithumia is e epi ton thumon iousa dunamis: thumos is apo tes thuseos tes psuches: imeros--oti eimenos pei e psuche: pothos, the desire which is in another place, allothi pou: eros was anciently esros, and so called because it flows into (esrei) the soul from without: doxa is e dioxis tou eidenai, or expresses the shooting from a bow (toxon). The latter etymology is confirmed by the words boulesthai, boule, aboulia, which all have to do with shooting (bole): and similarly oiesis is nothing

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 A Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne:

was only doing him a charity; - and he made me a bow down to the ground for it.

- Here! said I to an old soldier with one hand, who had been campaigned and worn out to death in the service - here's a couple of sous for thee. - VIVE LE ROI! said the old soldier.

I had then but three sous left: so I gave one, simply, POUR L'AMOUR DE DIEU, which was the footing on which it was begg'd. - The poor woman had a dislocated hip; so it could not be well upon any other motive.

MON CHER ET TRES-CHARITABLE MONSIEUR. - There's no opposing this, said I.