| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Royalty Restored/London Under Charles II by J. Fitzgerald Molloy: account of what I have seen abed, which, in short, is, her face
is not so exact as to be called a beauty, though her eyes are
excellent good, and not anything in her face that in the least
degree can shock one: on the contrary, she hath as much
agreeableness in her looks altogether as ever I saw; and if I
have any skill in physiognomy, which I think I have, she must be
as good a woman as ever was born. Her conversation, as much as I
can perceive, is very good, for she has wit enough, and a most
agreeable voice. You would wonder to see how well acquainted we
are already. In a word, I think myself very happy; for I am
confident our two humours will agree very well together. I have
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas: any attention to it, the smallest details of this Odyssey,
very picturesquely related by the Comte de Guiche.
The Comtesse de Soissons interrupted the narrator: "Confess,
count, you are inventing."
"Madame, I am repeating like a parrot all the stories
related to me by different Englishmen. To my shame I am
compelled to say, I am as exact as a copy."
"Charles II. would have died before he could have endured
all that."
Louis XIV. raised his intelligent and proud head. "Madame,"
said he, in a grave tone, still partaking something of the
Ten Years Later |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from An Old Maid by Honore de Balzac: Cormon, who remained alone, a prey to her perplexities.
She saw plainly that a prompt marriage was the only way to silence the
town. This last checkmate, so evidently mortifying, was of a nature to
drive her into some extreme action; for persons deficient in mind find
difficulty in getting out of any path, either good or evil, into which
they have entered.
Each of the two old bachelors had fully understood the situation in
which Mademoiselle Cormon was about to find herself; consequently,
each resolved to call in the course of that morning to ask after her
health, and take occasion, in bachelor language, to "press his point."
Monsieur de Valois considered that such an occasion demanded 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 Prince Otto by Robert Louis Stevenson: passport in the name of Sir John Crabtree.
'Affix the seal, Herr Cancellarius,' he said, in his most princely
manner, as he rose.
Greisengesang produced a red portfolio, and affixed the seal in the
unpoetic guise of an adhesive stamp; nor did his perturbed and
clumsy movements at all lessen the comedy of the performance. Sir
John looked on with a malign enjoyment; and Otto chafed, regretting,
when too late, the unnecessary royalty of his command and gesture.
But at length the Chancellor had finished his piece of
prestidigitation, and, without waiting for an order, had
countersigned the passport. Thus regularised, he returned it to
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