| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: Highlanders of that period possessed a much greater sensibility
both for tale and song than was found among their Lowland
neighbours; but even this, he thought, hardly accounted for the
embarrassment with which the old man withdrew his eyes from the
songstress, as if unwilling to suffer them to rest on an object
so interesting. Still less was it to be expected, that features
which expressed pride, stern common sense, and the austere habit
of authority, should have been so much agitated by so trivial a
circumstance. As the Chief's brow became clouded, he drooped his
large shaggy grey eyebrows until they almost concealed his eyes,
on the lids of which something like a tear might be seen to
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Lady Baltimore by Owen Wister: Hortense put in a languid word. "I think I should always feel safe with
Mr. Mayrant."
But Kitty was a simple soul. "Indeed you couldn't, Hortense! I assure you
that you're mistaken. There's where you get so wrong about men sometimes.
I have been studying that boy for your sake ever since we got here, and I
know him through and through. And I tell you, you cannot count upon him.
He has not been used to our ways, and I see no promise of his getting
used to them. He will stay capable of outbreaks like that horrid one on
the bridge. Wherever you take him, wherever you put him, no matter how
much you show him of us, and the way we don't allow conspicuous things
like that to occur, believe me, Hortense, he'll never learn, he'll never
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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 Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia by Samuel Johnson: him think it greater than it is."
The astronomer, in pursuance of this resolution, was told that a
foreign lady, travelling in search of knowledge, had heard of his
reputation, and was desirous to become his scholar. The
uncommonness of the proposal raised at once his surprise and
curiosity, and when after a short deliberation he consented to
admit her, he could not stay without impatience till the next day.
The ladies dressed themselves magnificently, and were attended by
Imlac to the astronomer, who was pleased to see himself approached
with respect by persons of so splendid an appearance. In the
exchange of the first civilities he was timorous and bashful; but
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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 War in the Air by H. G. Wells: the head. It was indeed a most complete adaptation of the fish
form to aerial conditions, the position of swimming bladder,
eyes, and brain being, however, below instead of above. A
striking, and unfish-like feature was the apparatus for wireless
telegraphy that dangled from the forward cabin--that is to say,
under the chin of the fish.
These monsters were capable of ninety miles an hour in a calm, so
that they could face and make headway against nearly everything
except the fiercest tornado. They varied in length from eight
hundred to two thousand feet, and they had a carrying power of
from seventy to two hundred tons. How many Germany possessed
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