| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Chinese Boy and Girl by Isaac Taylor Headland: disorder and dismay in every direction.
The Chinese boys and girls are little men and women. At an early
age they are familiar with all the rules of behaviour which
characterize their after life and conduct. Their clothes are cut
on the same pattern, out of cloth as those of their parents and
grandparents. There are no kilts and knee-breeches, pinafores and
short skirts, to make them feel that they are little people.
But they are little people as really and truly as are the
children of other countries. A gentleman in reviewing my
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Phoenix and the Turtle by William Shakespeare: That it cried how true a twain
Seemeth this concordant one!
Love hath reason, reason none
If what parts can so remain.
Whereupon it made this threne
To the phoenix and the dove,
Co-supreme and stars of love;
As chorus to their tragic scene.
THRENOS.
Beauty, truth, and rarity.
Grace in all simplicity,
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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 Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: many ways the Lord had prospered him, until they were come
together again.
The old man listened with pleasure and amazement, and with hot
tears said, "Glory to thee, our God, that ever standest by and
succourest them that love thee! Glory to thee, O Christ, King of
all and God all-good, that it was thy pleasure that the seed,
which I sowed in the heart of Ioasaph, thy servant, should thus
bring forth fruit an hundredfold worthy of the husbandman and
Master of our souls! Glory to thee, good Paraclete, the all-holy
Spirit, because thou didst vouchsafe unto this man to partake of
that grace which thou gavest thine holy Apostles, and by his hand
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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 The Door in the Wall, et. al. by H. G. Wells: come upon my name.
"The air was full of music, full of harmonious scents, full of
the rhythm of beautiful motions. Thousands of beautiful people
swarmed about the hall, crowded the galleries, sat in a myriad
recesses; they were dressed in splendid colours and crowned with
flowers; thousands danced about the great circle beneath the white
images of the ancient gods, and glorious processions of youths and
maidens came and went. We two danced, not the dreary monotonies of
your days--of this time, I mean--but dances that were beautiful,
intoxicating. And even now I can see my lady dancing--dancing
joyously. She danced, you know, with a serious face; she danced
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