Black and white

Meaning

The paired colours belong here to a verse about constancy in fear of God, exercise in the Word and diligent attention to one’s calling. The person commended lets neither black nor white lead them astray. The phrase does not describe an observed succession inside a vessel, and no timing or recipe is attached to it.

The English preserves this as ‘neither black nor white’, correctly leaving the contrast broad. Its placement before extravagant claims about making gold encourages a reader to connect steadfast conduct with the art’s promise, but it does not turn the two colour words into sufficient diagnostic signs. More technical colour sequences elsewhere require their own local explanation.