| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: preservation of this letter."
"I had already thought of that," was Sunderland's answer, and he placed
before Mr. Wilding three lines of writing signed and sealed which
enjoined all, straitly, in the King's name to suffer the bearer to
pass and repass and to offer him no hindrance.
On that they shook hands and parted, Sunderland to return to Whitehall
and his obedience to the King James whom he was ready to betray as soon
as he saw profit for himself in the act, Mr. Wilding to return to
Somerset to the King James in whom his faith was scant, indeed, but with
whom his fortunes were irrevocably bound up.
Meanwhile, Monmouth was back in Bridgwater, his second occupation of
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen: neither cold, nor hunger, nor anxiety--they were with God.
But in the corner, at the cold hour of dawn, sat the poor girl, with rosy
cheeks and with a smiling mouth, leaning against the wall--frozen to death on
the last evening of the old year. Stiff and stark sat the child there with her
matches, of which one bundle had been burnt. "She wanted to warm herself,"
people said. No one had the slightest suspicion of what beautiful things she
had seen; no one even dreamed of the splendor in which, with her grandmother
she had entered on the joys of a new year.
THE DREAM OF LITTLE TUK
Ah! yes, that was little Tuk: in reality his name was not Tuk, but that was
what he called himself before he could speak plain: he meant it for Charles,
Fairy Tales |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Adam Bede by George Eliot: possible, he said, looking at her affectionately, "Nay, I can't
find fault with anything Dinah does. I believe her thoughts are
better than our guesses, let 'em be what they may. I should ha'
been thankful for her to stay among us, but if she thinks well to
go, I wouldn't cross her, or make it hard to her by objecting. We
owe her something different to that."
As it often happens, the words intended to relieve her were just
too much for Dinah's susceptible feelings at this moment. The
tears came into the grey eyes too fast to be hidden and she got up
hurriedly, meaning it to be understood that she was going to put
on her bonnet.
Adam Bede |
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 In the South Seas by Robert Louis Stevenson: dour Scots fisherman as he was, expressed his satisfaction within
bounds; but the wife beamed; and there was an old gentleman present
- her father, I suppose - who seemed nigh translated. His eyes
stood out of his head; 'KAUPOI, KAUPOI - rich, rich!' ran on his
lips like a refrain; and he could not meet my eye but what he
gurgled into foolish laughter.
I might now go home, leaving that fire-lit family party gloating
over their new millions, and consider my strange day. I had tried
and rewarded the virtue of Terutak'. I had played the millionaire,
had behaved abominably, and then in some degree repaired my
thoughtlessness. And now I had my box, and could open it and look
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