The blue of ecclesiastical colouring is always dark and intense. _Purple_ is the term of most doubtful signification, being frequently applied to crimson, scarlet, and blue. The famous "Tyrian purple" was manufactured from the juice of shell-fish,--principally the _Murex trunculus_ of Linnæus and Lamarck,--and was compared by Pliny to "the rich, fresh, and bright colour of deep-red purple roses." The same writer observes, that "_violet_, purple, and scarlet, were nowhere dyed so well as at Tyre, whose shores abounded with the best kinds of purples." It seems, to my judgment, reasonable to suppose that the "purple" employed in the curtains of the Tabernacle, &c. was "violet," as that colour would best unite with "scarlet" and "blue," which are separately enumerated. It is interesting also to read that Pliny describes "red" as distinguished from "purple," and calls it "a gay, lively bright, approaching the colour of fire." But this is a long digression; to resume:--In the Divine commands relative to the making of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, this verse occurs (Exod. xxviii. 5), "And they shall take gold, and blue, and scarlet, and purple, and fine linen"--that is, white. The symbolical meaning which may be gathered from these words is very striking and beautiful. There are three colours mentioned (white is not a _colour_); of these, two are primary--that is, original, not formed by any combination--red and blue. Purple (or violet) is made by a combination, _proceeding from_ these two; and so in these foundation-colours of the Tabernacle, I would reverently see a symbolical representation of the Three Most Holy Persons of the Godhead. To complete the symbol, we have also white, signifying perfect righteousness, the emblem and colour of light; and gold, typifying glory. Thus, in the first and highest sense, are colours symbolical. [Sidenote: Emphasis by Colour.] To apply the subject to the art of illumination. It has been already remarked that the emphasis of a text is expressed in two ways--by prefixing capital letters to the principal words, and also by distinction of colour. On the due attention to a few simple rules respecting the value of certain colours, and their just application, much of the beauty of an illuminated work depends. [Sidenote: Gold.] GOLD is of the highest value. It should be employed _only_ for the letters forming the names of The Holy Trinity, or Their attributes. For the sake of distinctness, however, the gold must be either edged with blue or red, or the whole word may be placed on a tablet of colour. Sprays of _fleurs-de-lys_, &c. in red, twining between, but _not over_ the letters, will also assist in making them distinct and marked. In words referring to Heaven or Angels, gold stars or dots sprinkled over the letters are appropriate.