 Immediately following on his abrupt announcement of the four divisions of nature, Eriugena proceeds to list “five ways of interpreting” (quinque modi interpretationis) the manner in which things may be said to be or not to be (Periphyseon, I.443c–446a). According to the first mode, things accessible to the senses and the intellect are said to be, whereas anything which, “through the excellence of its nature” (per excellentiam suae naturae), transcends our faculties are said not to be. According to this classification, God, because of his transcendence is said not to be. He is “nothingness through excellence” (nihil per excellentiam).