| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne: and, in conscious justice, printed but a few copies to give away;--and that
I am told he could moreover have made as good a one himself, had he thought
fit,--I declare I would not have published this anecdote to the world;--nor
do I publish it with an intent to hurt his character and advancement in the
church;--I leave that to others;--but I find myself impelled by two
reasons, which I cannot withstand.
The first is, That in doing justice, I may give rest to Yorick's ghost;--
which--as the country-people, and some others believe,--still walks.
The second reason is, That, by laying open this story to the world, I gain
an opportunity of informing it,--That in case the character of parson
Yorick, and this sample of his sermons, is liked,--there are now in the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley: to you through them in "songs without words," because they are
deeper than all words, till you, too, fall asleep with your head
upon my knee.
But what does she say?
She says--"Be still. The fulness of joy is peace." There, you
are fast asleep; and perhaps that is the best thing for you; for
sleep will (so I am informed, though I never saw it happen, nor
any one else) put fresh gray matter into your brain; or save the
wear and tear of the old gray matter; or something else--when they
have settled what it is to do: and if so, you will wake up with a
fresh fiddle-string to your little fiddle of a brain, on which you
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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 Edition of The Ambassadors by Henry James: sense, by two or three incidents with which we have yet to make
acquaintance. Waymarsh himself, for the occasion, was drawn into
the eddy; it absolutely, though but temporarily, swallowed him
down, and there were days when Strether seemed to bump against him
as a sinking swimmer might brush a submarine object. The
fathomless medium held them--Chad's manner was the fathomless
medium; and our friend felt as if they passed each other, in their
deep immersion, with the round impersonal eye of silent fish. It
was practically produced between them that Waymarsh was giving him
then his chance; and the shade of discomfort that Strether drew
from the allowance resembled not a little the embarrassment he had
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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 American by Henry James: in that fine fashion! But go to Madame de Cintre at
any rate, and tell her that she is a puzzle even to me.
I am very curious to see how far family discipline will go."
Newman sat a while longer, leaning his elbows on his knees
and his head in his hands, and Mrs. Tristram continued to temper
charity with philosophy and compassion with criticism.
At last she inquired, "And what does the Count Valentin say to it?"
Newman started; he had not thought of Valentin and his errand
on the Swiss frontier since the morning. The reflection made
him restless again, and he took his leave. He went straight
to his apartment, where, upon the table of the vestibule,
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