| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Wrong Box by Stevenson & Osbourne: to the voice of love. The cat's-meat man passes twice a day. An
occasional organ-grinder wanders in and wanders out again,
disgusted. In holiday-time the street is the arena of the young
bloods of the neighbourhood, and the householders have an
opportunity of studying the manly art of self-defence. And yet
Norfolk Street has one claim to be respectable, for it contains
not a single shop--unless you count the public-house at the
corner, which is really in the King's Road.
The door of No. 7 bore a brass plate inscribed with the legend
'W. D. Pitman, Artist'. It was not a particularly clean brass
plate, nor was No. 7 itself a particularly inviting place of
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Lair of the White Worm by Bram Stoker: years in the diplomatic world. This creature is a monster without
heart or consideration for anything or anyone. She is not nearly so
dangerous in the open as when she has the dark to protect her.
Besides, we know, by our own experience of her movements, that for
some reason she shuns publicity. In spite of her vast bulk and
abnormal strength, she is afraid to attack openly. After all, she
is only a snake and with a snake's nature, which is to keep low and
squirm, and proceed by stealth and cunning. She will never attack
when she can run away, although she knows well that running away
would probably be fatal to her. What is the letter about?"
Sir Nathaniel's voice was calm and self-possessed. When he was
Lair of the White Worm |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Letters of Two Brides by Honore de Balzac: love. Like a thief, I took what was not mine, and my frenzied grasp
has crushed the life out of my bliss. The madness is over now, but I
feel that I am alone. Merciful God! what torture of the damned can
exceed the misery in that word?
When they took him away from me, I lay down on the same bed and hoped
to die. There was but a door between us, and it seemed to me I had
strength to force it! But, alas! I was too young for death; and after
forty days, during which, with cruel care and all the sorry inventions
of medical science, they slowly nursed me back to life, I find myself
in the country, seated by my window, surrounded with lovely flowers,
which he made to bloom for me, gazing on the same splendid view over
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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 Essays & Lectures by Oscar Wilde: the common Athenian tradition in which Harmodios and Aristogeiton
were represented as the patriotic liberators of Athens from the
Peisistratid tyranny. So far, he points out, from the love of
freedom being their motive, both of them were influenced by merely
personal considerations, Aristogeiton being jealous of Hipparchos'
attention to Harmodios, then a beautiful boy in the flower of Greek
loveliness, while the latter's indignation was aroused by an insult
offered to his sister by the prince.
Their motives, then, were personal revenge, while the result of
their conspiracy served only to rivet more tightly the chains of
servitude which bound Athens to the Peisistratid house, for
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