154 ON EARTHLY AND HEAVENLY MYSTERY
4. And these are tne colours wherein all things
lie : blue, red, green and yellow. The fifth, white,
belongs to God; and yet has also its lustre in
Nature. It is the fifth essence, a pure unblemished
child ; as is to be seen in gold and silver, and in a
white clear stone that resists fire.
5. For fire is the proof or trial of all the colours,
in which none subsists but white, the same being
a reflection of God's Majesty. The black colour
belongs not to the mystery [of the wonders of
creation], but is the veil or the darkness wherein
all things lie.
6. Further, we find here the tree of tongues or
languages, with four alphabets. One signed with
the characters of the Mystery, in which is found
the language of Nature, which in all languages is
the root. But in the birth of plurality (or of many
languages) it is not known save by its own children,
to whom the Mystery itself gives understanding;
for it is a wonder of God. This alphabet of the
language of Nature is hidden among them all in
the black colour; for the black colour belongs not
to the number of colours. The same is mystery
and not understood, save by him who possesses
the language of Nature, to whom it is revealed
by God's Spirit.
7. The second alphabet is the Hebrew, which
reveals the mystery [of the language of Nature],
and names the tree with the branches and twigs.
8. The third is the Greek, which names the tree
with the fruit and every ornament, and first
correctly expresses knowledge.
9. The fourth is the Latin (to which many nations