| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Girl with the Golden Eyes by Honore de Balzac: will ask of you----"
"Nothing," replied the Marquise. "One person alone might ask for a
reckoning for the death of this girl. Cristemio is dead."
"And the mother," said Henri, pointing to the old woman. "Will you not
always be in her power?"
"She comes from a country where women are not beings, but things--
chattels, with which one does as one wills, which one buys, sells, and
slays; in short, which one uses for one's caprices as you, here, use a
piece of furniture. Besides, she has one passion which dominates all
the others, and which would have stifled her maternal love, even if
she had loved her daughter, a passion----"
The Girl with the Golden Eyes |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Sportsman by Xenophon: [21] Or, "for the purpose of felling wood and stopping up gaps where
necessary."
III
There are two breeds of sporting dogs: the Castorian and the fox-
like.[1] The former get their name from Castor, in memory of the
delight he took in the business of the chase, for which he kept this
breed by preference.[2] The other breed is literally foxy, being the
progeny originally of the dog and the fox, whose natures have in the
course of ages become blent.[3]
[1] {Kastoriai}, or Laconian, approaching possibly the harrier type;
{alopekides}, i.e. vulpocanine, hybrid between fox and dog.
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Golden Sayings of Epictetus by Epictetus: or ivory? Nay, when the Athena of Phidias has put forth her hand
and received therein a Victory, in that attitude she stands for
evermore. But God's works move and breathe; they use and judge
the things of sense. The workmanship of such an Artist, wilt thou
dishonor Him? Ay, when he not only fashioned thee, but placed
thee, like a ward, in the care and guardianship of thyself alone,
wilt thou not only forget this, but also do dishonour to what is
committed to thy care! If God had entrusted thee with an orphan,
wouldst thou have thus neglected him? He hath delivered thee to
thine own care, saying, I had none more faithful than myself:
keep this man for me such as Nature hath made him--modest,
The Golden Sayings of Epictetus |
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 The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum: her patched face I can whitewash it."
"Has she any brains?" asked Ojo.
"No; I forgot all about the brains!" exclaimed
the woman. "I am glad you reminded me of
them, for it is not too late to supply them, by
any means. Until she is brought to life I can
do anything I please with this girl. But I must
be careful not to give her too much brains, and
those she has must be such as are fitted to the
station she is to occupy in life. In other words,
her brains mustn't be very good."
The Patchwork Girl of Oz |
