| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Boys' Life of Abraham Lincoln by Helen Nicolay: human nature enabled him to bring out the best in people about
him, and at times to turn their very weaknesses into sources of
strength. It made it possible for him to keep the regard of every
one of them. Before he had been in office a month it had
transformed Secretary Seward from his rival into his lasting
friend. It made a warm friend out of the blunt, positive,
hot-tempered Edwin M. Stanton, who became Secretary of War in
place of Mr. Cameron. He was a man of strong will and great
endurance, and gave his Department a record for hard and
effective work that it would be difficult to equal. Many stories
are told of the disrespect he showed the President, and 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 Heroes by Charles Kingsley: stretched many a fathom, spangled with bronze and gold; and
half of him they could see, but no more, for the rest lay in
the darkness far beyond.
And when he saw them coming he lifted up his head, and
watched them with his small bright eyes, and flashed his
forked tongue, and roared like the fire among the woodlands,
till the forest tossed and groaned. For his cries shook the
trees from leaf to root, and swept over the long reaches of
the river, and over Aietes' hall, and woke the sleepers in
the city, till mothers clasped their children in their fear.
But Medeia called gently to him, and he stretched out his
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