| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas: as he was, Porthos could not afford to have a baldric wholly of
gold, but had at least half. One could comprehend the necessity
of the cold and the urgency of the cloak.
"Bless me!" cried Porthos, making strong efforts to disembarrass
himself of D'Artagnan, who was wriggling about his back; "you
must be mad to run against people in this manner."
"Excuse me," said D'Artagnan, reappearing under the shoulder of
the giant, "but I am in such haste--I was running after someone
and--"
"And do you always forget your eyes when you run?" asked Porthos.
"No," replied D'Artagnan, piqued, "and thanks to my eyes, I can
The Three Musketeers |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Options by O. Henry: It seems the bills the robber got were all the first issue of currency
to the Second National Bank of Espinosa City. And so they've followed
the trail where they've been spent, and it leads this way.'
"Ogden pours out some more Bourbon, and shoves me the bottle.
"'I imagine,' says I, after ingurgitating another modicum of the royal
boose, 'that it wouldn't be at all a disingenuous idea for a train
robber to run down into this part of the country to hide for a spell.
A sheep-ranch, now,' says I, would be the finest kind of a place.
Who'd ever expect to find such a desperate character among these song-
birds and muttons and wild flowers? And, by the way,' says I, kind of
looking H. Ogden over, 'was there any description mentioned of this
Options |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Travels of Sir John Mandeville by Sir John Mandeville: enamelled. And men make them dance and sing, clapping their wings
together, and make great noise. And whether it be by craft or by
necromancy I wot never; but it is a good sight to behold, and a
fair; and it is great marvel how it may be. But I have the less
marvel, because that they be the most subtle men in all sciences
and in all crafts that be in the world: for of subtlety and of
malice and of farcasting they pass all men under heaven. And
therefore they say themselves, that they see with two eyes and the
Christian men see but with one, because that they be more subtle
than they. For all other nations, they say, be but blind in
cunning and working in comparison to them. I did great business
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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 Of The Nature of Things by Lucretius: But, by obtaining germs of many things,
In many a way she brings the many forth
Into the light of sun. And here, whoso
Decides to call the ocean Neptune, or
The grain-crop Ceres, and prefers to abuse
The name of Bacchus rather than pronounce
The liquor's proper designation, him
Let us permit to go on calling earth
Mother of Gods, if only he will spare
To taint his soul with foul religion.
So, too, the wooly flocks, and horned kine,
Of The Nature of Things |
