| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: under Sir Phelim O'Neale."
"My lord," replied Captain Dalgetty, "I am no renegade, though a
Major of Irishes, for which I might refer your lordship to the
invincible Gustavus Adolphus the Lion of the North, to Bannier,
to Oxenstiern, to the warlike Duke of Saxe-Weimar, Tilly,
Wallenstein, Piccolomini, and other great captains, both dead and
living; and touching the noble Earl of Montrose, I pray your
lordship to peruse these my full powers for treating with you in
the name of that right honourable commander."
The Marquis looked slightingly at the signed and sealed paper
which Captain Dalgetty handed to him, and, throwing it with
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Intentions by Oscar Wilde: Covent Garden and look at the roses. Come! I am tired of thought.
THE TRUTH OF MASKS - A NOTE ON ILLUSION
In many of the somewhat violent attacks that have recently been
made on that splendour of mounting which now characterises our
Shakespearian revivals in England, it seems to have been tacitly
assumed by the critics that Shakespeare himself was more or less
indifferent to the costumes of his actors, and that, could he see
Mrs. Langtry's production of ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, he would
probably say that the play, and the play only, is the thing, and
that everything else is leather and prunella. While, as regards
any historical accuracy in dress, Lord Lytton, in an article in the
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Figure in the Carpet by Henry James: approved of this image when I used it, and he used another himself.
"It's the very string," he said, "that my pearls are strung on!"
The reason of his note to me had been that he really didn't want to
give us a grain of succour - our density was a thing too perfect in
its way to touch. He had formed the habit of depending on it, and
if the spell was to break it must break by some force of its own.
He comes back to me from that last occasion - for I was never to
speak to him again - as a man with some safe preserve for sport. I
wondered as I walked away where he had got HIS tip.
CHAPTER V.
WHEN I spoke to George Corvick of the caution I had received he
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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 Beauty and The Beast by Bayard Taylor: grove and threw himself on the ground. Thus, in a miserable chaos
of emotion, unable to grasp any fixed thought, the hours passed
away. Towards evening, he heard a footstep approaching, and sprang
up. It was Moses.
The latter was engaged, with the consent of his parents and
expected to "pass meeting" in a few weeks. He knew what had
happened, and felt a sincere sympathy for Richard, for whom he had
a cordial regard. His face was very grave, but kind.
"Thee'd better come in, Richard," said he; "the evenings are damp,
and I v'e brought thy overcoat. I know everything, and I feel that
it must be a great cross for thee. But thee won't be alone in
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