Page:Curious Myths of the Middle Ages (1866).pdf/228

 but, according to the Chaldeans, the reason is, because God created the world in six days.

“, or the heptad, is a number very powerful for good or for evil. It belongs especially to sacred things.

“The number, or the octad, is the first cube, that is to say, squared in all senses, as a die, proceeding from its base two, an even number; so is man four-square, or perfect.

“The number, or the ennead, being the multiple of three, should be regarded as sacred.

“Finally,, or the decad, is the measure of all, since it contains all the numeric relations and harmonies. As the reunion of the four first numbers, it plays an eminent part, since all the branches of science, all nomenclatures, emanate from, and retire into it.”

It is hardly necessary for me here to do more than mention the peculiar character given to different numbers by Christianity. One is the numeral indicating the Unity of the Godhead; Two points to the hypostatic union; Three to the Blessed Trinity; Four to the Evangelists; Five to the Sacred Wounds; Six is the number of sin; Seven that of the gifts of the Spirit; Eight, that of the Beatitudes; Ten is the number of the command-