| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Men of Iron by Howard Pyle: thou art he."
At first little Lady Alice hung back behind her cousin, saying
nothing until the Lady Anne, turning suddenly, said: "Come, coz,
has thou naught to say to our new-made knight? Canst thou not
also wish him joy of his knighthood?"
Lady Alice hesitated a minute, then gave Myles a timid hand,
which he, with a strange mixture of joy and confusion, took as
timidly as it was offered. He raised the hand, and set it lightly
and for an instant to his lips, as he had done with the Lady
Anne's hand, but with very different emotions.
"I give you joy of your knighthood, sir," said Lady Alice, in a
Men of Iron |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: alacrity.
"And you, Allan M'Aulay," said Montrose, addressing the
Highlander, who, leaning his sword-point on the ground, had
regarded the ceremony of his antagonist's knighthood with a sneer
of sullen scorn,--"you, who are superior to the ordinary men led
by the paltry motives of plunder, and pay, and personal
distinction,--you, whose deep knowledge renders you so valuable a
counsellor,--is it YOU whom I find striving with a man like
Dalgetty, for the privilege of trampling the remains of life out
of so contemptible an enemy as lies there? Come, my friend, I
have other work for you. This victory, skilfully improved, shall
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Economist by Xenophon: [16] See "Hell." I. v. 1.
[17] Reading {oi' isou pephuteumena}, or if {ta pephuteumena}, transl.
"the various plants ranged."
[18] Cf. Dion. Hal. "de Comp." p. 170; Cic. "de Senect." S. 59.
[19] Lit. "of these" {deiktikos}, i.e. pointing to the various
beauties of the scenery.
[20] Reading {to kallos}.
[21] The Persian "Sun-God." See "Cyrop." VII. v. 53; Strab. xv. 3. 13.
[22] Or, "fortunate."
[23] Or, "you are a good man, and thereby fortunate."
V
|
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 Brother of Daphne by Dornford Yates: drivers had had time to inspire the horses with the terror they
felt themselves. Then:
"'All found''s all right, if you know your man," said I.
"But I don't."
I caught her laughing eyes in the windscreen, and straightway
drank to them from an imaginary wine-glass. She smiled gently,
and the eyes looked away with the look that sees at once not at
all and yet farthest. She was gazing down the vista of memory.
"Then it's a compact," I said quietly. "Sealed with a drink."
"I never drank to you this time, Norval."
"Yes, you did," said I. "Only with thine eyes, doll beautiful."
The Brother of Daphne |
