1,2,3,4 Elements

Ragon in his book on Masonry, mentions the curious fact that the first four numbers in German are named after the elements:
"Ein, or one, means the air, the element which, ever in motion, penetrates matter throughout, and whose continual ebb and tide is the universal vehicle of life.

"Zwei, two, is derived from the old German Zweig, signifying germ, fecundity; it stands for earth the fecund mother of all.

Drei, three, is the trienos of the Greeks, standing for water, whence the Sea-Gods, Tritons; and trident, the emblem of Neptune - the water, or sea, in general being called Amphitrite (surrounding water).

Vier, four, the number meaning in Belgian, fire....It is the quaternary that the first solid figure is found, the universal symbol of immortality, the Pyramid 'whose first syllable means fire.'...

"Finally the Ancients represented the world by the number five. Diodorus explains it by saying that his number represents earth, fire, water, air and ether or spiritus. Hence the origin of Pente (five) and of Pan (the God) meaning in Greek all."

-From the 3rd Volume of the Secret Doctrine.