| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Oakdale Affair by Edgar Rice Burroughs: neath him. One open palm, extended to ease his fall,
fell upon the upturned features of a cold and clammy
face. With a shriek of horror The Kid leaped to his feet
and shrank, trembling, back.
"What is it? What's the matter?" cried Bridge, with
whom The Kid had collided in his precipitate retreat.
"O-o-o!" groaned The Kid, shuddering. "It's dead! It's
dead!"
"What's dead?" demanded Bridge.
"There's a dead man on the floor, right ahead of us,"
moaned The Kid.
The Oakdale Affair |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Falk by Joseph Conrad: the only fire-arm on board, and the second best man
--the carpenter--was lying dead between him and
them.
"He was eaten, of course," I said.
He bent his head slowly, shuddered a little, draw-
ing his hands over his face, and said, "I had never
any quarrel with that man. But there were our
lives between him and me."
Why continue the story of that ship, that story
before which, with its fresh-water pump like a
spring of death, its man with the weapon, the sea
Falk |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Royalty Restored/London Under Charles II by J. Fitzgerald Molloy: coach; some say it was in a cart."
Dancing was also a favourite and common amusement amongst all
classes. Scarce a week went by that Whitehall was not lighted up
for a ball, at which the king, queen, and courtiers danced
bransles, corants, and French figures; [The bransle, or brawl,
had all the characteristics of a country-dance; several persons
taking part in it, and all at various times joining hands. The
corant was a swift lively dance, in which two persons only took
part, and was not unlike our modern galop.] and no night passed
but such entertainments were likewise held in the city.
Billiards and chess were also played, whilst gambling became a
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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 Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: but he seemed to be twanging on a broken string, and speaking to
deaf ears. But when the Lord looked upon the lowliness of his
servant Ioasaph, and, in answer to his prayer, opened the closed
gates of his father's heart (for it is said, he will fulfil the
desire of them that fear him, and will hear their cry), then the
king easily understood the things that were spoken; so that, when
a convenient season came, through the grace of Christ, this son
triumphed over those evil spirits that had lorded it over the
soul of his father, and clean freed him from their error, and
made the word of salvation clearly known unto him, and joined him
to the living God on high.
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