The sparks are Angels, and the flowers the souls of the blessed. ↩

For the mystic virtues of the ruby, see note 658 . ↩

For the mystic virtues of the topaz, see note 1584 . ↩

“By the length,” says Venturi, “was represented the outpouring of God upon his creatures; by the roundness, the return of this outpouring to God, as to its first source and ultimate end.”