“There flew High overhead that hour five Holy Ones Whose free wings faltered as they passed the tree. ‘What power superior draws us from our flight?’ They asked,--for spirits feel all force divine, And know the sacred presence of the pure. Then looking downward, they beheld the Buddh Crowned with a rose-hued aureole, intent On thoughts to save; while from the grove a voice Cried, ‘Rishis! this is he shall help the world. Descend and worship.’ So the Bright Ones came And sang a song of praise, folding their wings; Then journeyed on, taking good news to God.” The colour pink is said to be the esoteric colour of the mystic number five, which is the number of power, inspiration, and love-healing; _e.g._ five is the number of points in King Solomon’s seal, which was a talisman of power and inspiration. The Pool of Bethesda, we may remember, had five porches, and it was there that the sick were healed. We see from this connection that similar truths are wrapped up in other groups of symbols. In fact, we find that whether we take colours, or numbers, or trees, or animals, or mountains, or rivers, we learn the same deep truths. The mystics knew that each was an expression of the heavenly mind:-- “Earth’s crammed with heaven And every common bush afire with God, But only he who sees takes off his shoes.”[6] [6] E. B. B., _Aurora Leigh_. Carlyle used pink in its debased sense when he speaks “of the rose-pink hue of sentimentality,” meaning a hue that lacks full virility. * * * * * When we come to the colour orange, however, we find that the ancients hardly ever refer to it. If it had very much red in it, it came under the symbolism of red. If it had very much yellow in it, then the symbolism of yellow was considered to embrace it. They did not know it as a primary colour. CHAPTER III THE OLD LANGUAGE OF YELLOW “Into the yellow of the Rose Eternal ... Me Beatrice drew.”--DANTE. Yellow is one of the most interesting colours. Being the colour of the sun, all the attributes of the sun were given to it. Like red it was considered a masculine colour, while green, blue, and violet were thought of as feminine. Like red, too, it is used by healers as a tonic. As it is of such healing value to the brain, we are not surprised to find that amber has been used as an antidote to insanity. Yellow stones are said to bring happiness to their owners, for yellow was said to be the colour of unity--unity in affection, unity with the spiritual powers of the universe, unity with the Sun of Righteousness who comes with healing in his wings.