| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert: Suddenly his eyeballs flamed, his livid face contracted; and raising
both his lean arms he shouted out abuse at him.
Matho did not hear it; but he felt so furious and cruel a look
entering his heart that he uttered a roar. He hurled his long axe at
him; some people threw themselves upon Schahabarim; and Matho seeing
him no more fell back exhausted.
A terrible creaking drew near, mingled with the rhythm of hoarse
voices singing together.
It was the great helepolis surrounded by a crowd of soldiers. They
were dragging it with both hands, hauling it with ropes, and pushing
it with their shoulders,--for the slope rising from the plain to the
Salammbo |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Walden by Henry David Thoreau: considered, that is, considering the importance of a man's soul and
of today, notwithstanding the short time occupied by my experiment,
nay, partly even because of its transient character, I believe that
that was doing better than any farmer in Concord did that year.
The next year I did better still, for I spaded up all the land
which I required, about a third of an acre, and I learned from the
experience of both years, not being in the least awed by many
celebrated works on husbandry, Arthur Young among the rest, that if
one would live simply and eat only the crop which he raised, and
raise no more than he ate, and not exchange it for an insufficient
quantity of more luxurious and expensive things, he would need to
Walden |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Eve and David by Honore de Balzac: projects and his own.
"Listen, David, we are old schoolfellows, you and I; I will fight your
case; but understand this clearly--the defence, in the teeth of the
law, will cost you five or six thousand francs! Do not compromise your
prospects. I think you will be compelled to share the profits of your
invention with some one of our paper manufacturers. Let us see now.
You will think twice before you buy or build a paper mill; and there
is the cost of the patent besides. All this means time, and money too.
The servers of writs will be down upon you too soon, perhaps, although
we are going to give them the slip----"
"I have my secret," said David, with the simplicity of the man of
|
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 Lily of the Valley by Honore de Balzac: education, which must now be thought of, is already being discussed.
He will be the representative of two houses, the Lenoncourt and the
Mortsauf families. I can have no ambition except for him, and
therefore my anxieties seem to have increased. Not only must Jacques
live, but he must be made worthy of his name; two necessities which,
as you know, conflict. And then, later, what friend will keep him safe
for me in Paris, where all things are pitfalls for the soul and
dangers for the body? My friend," she said, in a broken voice, "who
could not see upon your brow and in your eyes that you are one who
will inhabit heights? Be some day the guardian and sponsor of our boy.
Go to Paris; if your father and brother will not second you, our
The Lily of the Valley |
