Folio 98r - smaragdus, continued. Quintus Sardonix; The fifth, sardonyx. Sextus Sardius; The sixth, sard
it is more angelic than human; moreover, it is pleasing to angels and God and man and carries within itself the image of Christ because it follows the lamb wherever it goes; and for this reason this stone is called the fourth, because virginity is recommended in the four Gospels.
Verse
The smaragdus surpasses every green thing in its greenness.
The fifth, sardonyx
The fifth foundation, sardonyx, gets its name from the association of two names, as Isidorus says; for it has the white of onyx and the red of sard; and it is three-coloured, as the Glossator says, black at the bottom, white in the middle and red at the top; and when used for sealing, it does not pull any of the wax away.
From this, it signifies the suffering of the saints. At the bottom, that is in the world, they are considered worthless and despised; in this context, Job, 12: 'The just upright man is laughed to scorn ... a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease' (12:4). In the middle, that is the righteous man in his heart or conscience, they are white, as a result of their innocence. At the top they are red, by reason of the zeal of their martyrdom for Christ.
The stone does not pull any of the wax away, because the righteous man forgives his persecutors fully, from the heart, retaining no bitterness, according to Ecclesiasticus, 28: 'Forgive thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done unto thee, so shall thy sins also be forgiven when thou prayest (28:2).
This virtue is said to be the fifth because it diminishes infirmity of the body, because it is ruled by the five senses.
Verse
Two names, sard and onyx, make the sardonix. This single stone has taken from the two stones three colours. Alone of precious stones, it cannot pull away wax.
The sixth, sard
The sixth foundation, sard is so called because it was first found in Sardis; it is of the colour of blood only. For this reason it signifies the perfect constancy of the martyrs, who poured forth their blood for Christ.