| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Hated Son by Honore de Balzac: the waiting-woman served every night in a gold or silver cup a drink
prepared with spices.
After we have gone some way in life we know the secret influence
exerted by places on the condition of the soul. Who has not had his
darksome moments, when fresh hope has come into his heart from things
that surrounded him? The fortunate, or the unfortunate man, attributes
an intelligent countenance to the things among which he lives; he
listens to them, he consults them--so naturally superstitious is he.
At this moment the countess turned her eyes upon all these articles of
furniture, as if they were living beings whose help and protection she
implored; but the answer of that sombre luxury seemed to her
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne: year, Telephassa threw away her crown, because it chafed her
forehead.
"It has given me many a headache," said the poor queen, "and it
cannot cure my heartache."
As fast as their princely robes got torn and tattered, they
exchanged them for such mean attire as ordinary people wore. By
and by, they come to have a wild and homeless aspect; so that
you would much sooner have taken them for a gypsy family than a
queen and three princes, and a young nobleman, who had once a
palace for a home, and a train of servants to do their bidding.
The four boys grew up to be tall young men, with sunburnt
Tanglewood Tales |
