Canto XX
¶ARGUMENT . — The eagle celebrates the praise of certain kings, whose glorified spirits form the eye of the bird. In the pupil is David; and, in the circle round it, Trajan, Hczekiah, Constantine, William II of Sicily, and Ripheus. It explains to our Poet how the souls of those whom he supposed to have had no means of believing in Christ, came to be in Heaven; and concludes with an admonition against presuming to fathom the counsels of God.
¶HEN, disappearing from our hemisphere,WThe world's enlightener vanishes, and dayOn all sides wasteth; suddenly the sky,Erewhile irradiate only with his beam,Is yet again unfolded, putting forthInnumerable lights wherein one shines.Of such vicissitude in Heaven I thought;As the great sign,1 that marshaleth the worldAnd the world's leaders, in the blessed beakWas silent: for that all those living lights,Waxing in splendour, burst forth into songs,Such as from memory glide and fall away.Sweet Love, that doth apparel thee in smiles!How lustrous was thy semblance in those sparkles,Which merely are from holy thoughts inspired.After2 the precious and bright beaming stones,That did ingem the sixth light, ceased the chimingOf their angelic bells; methought I heardThe murmuring of a river, that doth fallFrom rock to rock transpicuous, making knownThe richness of his spring-head: and as soundOf cittern, at the fret-board, or of pipe,Is, at the wind-hole, modulate and tuned;Thus up the neck, as it were hollow, roseThat murmuring of the eagle; and forthwithVoice there assumed; and thence along the beakIssued in form of words, such as my heartDid look for, on whose tables I inscribed them."The part in me, that sees and bears the sunIn mortal eagles," it began, "must now[371]Be noted steadfastly: for, of the firesThat figure me, those, glittering in mine eye,Are chief of all the greatest. This, that shinesMidmost for pupil, was the same who 5 sangThe Holy Spirit's song, and bare aboutThe ark from town to town: now doth he knowThe merit of his soul-impassion'd strainsBy their well-fitted guerdon. Of the five,That make the circle of the vision, he, 4Who to the beak is nearest, comfortedThe widow for her son: now doth he know,How dear it costeth not to follow Christ;Both from experience of this pleasant life,And of its opposite. He next, 5 who followsIn the circumference, for the over-arch,By true repenting slack'd the pace of death:Now knoweth he, that the decrees of Heaven*Alter not, when, through pious prayer below,To-day is made to-morrow's destiny.The other following, 7 with the laws and me,To yield the Shepherd room, pass'd o'er 8 to Greece;From good intent, producing evil fruit:Now knoweth he, how all the ill, derivedFrom his well doing, doth not harm him aught;Though it have brought destruction on the world.That, which thou seest in the under bow,Was William, 9 whom that land bewails, which weepsFor Charles and Frederick living: now he knows,How well is loved in Heaven the righteous king;Which he betokens by his radiant seeming.Who, in the erring world beneath, would deem[372]That Trojan Ripheus, 10 in this round, was set,Fifth of the saintly splendours? now he knowsEnough of that, which the world cannot see;The grace divine: albeit e'en his sightReach not its utmost depth." Like to the lark,That warbling in the air expatiates long,Then, trilling out his last sweet melody,Drops, satiate with the sweetness; such appear'dThat image, stampt by the everlasting pleasure,Which fashions, as they are, all things that be.I, though my doubting were as manifest,As is through glass the hue that mantles it,In silence waited not; for to my lips"What things are these?" involuntary rush'd,And forced a passage out: whereat I mark'dA sudden lightening and new revelry.The eye was kindled; and the blessed sign,No more to keep me wondering and suspense,Replied: "I see that thou believest these things,Because I tell them, but discern'st not how;So that thy knowledge waits not on thy faith:As one, who knows the name of thing by rote,But is a stranger to its properties,Till other's tongue reveal them. Fervent love,And lively hope, with violence assailThe Kingdom of the Heavens, and overcomeThe will of the Most High; not in such sortAs man prevails o'er man; but conquers it,Because 'tis willing to be conquer'd; still,Though conquer'd, by its mercy, conquering."Those, in the eye who live the first and fifth,Cause thee to marvel, in that thou behold'stThe region of the Angels deck'd with them.They quitted not their bodies, as thou deem'st,Gentiles, but Christians; in firm rooted faith,This, 11 of the feet in future to be pierced,That, 1* of feet nail'd already to the Cross.[373]One from the barrier of the dark abyss,Where never any with good will returns,Came back unto his bones. Of lively hopeSuch was the meed; of lively hope, that wing'dThe prayers' 3 sent up to God for his release,And put power into them to bend his will.The glorious Spirit, of whom I speak to thee;A little while returning to the flesh,Believed in Him, who had the means to help;And, in believing, nourish'd such a flameOf holy love, that at the second deathHe was made sharer in our gamesome mirth.The other, through the riches of that grace,Which from so deep a fountain doth distil,As never eye created saw its rising,Placed all his love below on just and right:Wherefore, of grace, God oped in him the eyeTo the redemption of mankind to come;Wherein believing, he endured no moreThe filth of Paganism, and for their waysRebuked the stubborn nations. The three nymphs, 14Whom at the right wheel thou beheld'st advancing,Were sponsors for him, more than thousand yearsBefore baptizing. O how far removed,Predestination! is thy root from suchAs see not the First Cause entire: and ye,O mortal men! be wary how ye judge:For we, who see our Maker, know not yetThe number of the chosen; and esteemSuch scantiness of knowledge our delight:For all our good is, in that Primal Good,Concentrate; and God's will and ours are one."So, by that form divine, was given to meSweet medicine to clear and strengthen sight.And, as one handling skilfully the harp,Attendant on some skilful songster's voiceBids the chord vibrate; and therein the songAcquires more pleasure: so the whilst it spake.
p. 373¶"The prayers of St. Gregory. 1 4 "The three nymphs." Faith, Hope,
¶and Charity. Purgatory, Canto xxix. 1 1 6 .
p. 374¶It doth remember me, that I beheldThe pair 15 of blessed luminaries move,Like the accordant twinkling of two eyes,Their beamy circlets, dancing to the sounds.
Canto XXI
¶ARGUMENT . — Dante ascends with Beatrice to the seventh heaven, which is the planet Saturn; wherein is placed a ladder, so lofty, that the top of it is out of his sight. Here are the souls of those who had passed their life in holy retirement and contemplation. Piero Damiano comes near them, and answers questions put to him by Dante; then declares who he was on earth; and ends by declaiming against the luxury of pastors and prelates in those times.
¶AGAIN mine eyes were fix'd on Beatrice;/ \ And, with mine eyes, my soul that in her looksL m Found all contentment. Yet no smile she wore:And, "Did I smile," quoth she, "thou wouldst be straightLike Semele when into ashes turn'd;For, mounting these eternal palace-stairs,My beauty, which the loftier it climbs,As thou hast noted, still doth kindle more,So shines, that, were no tempering interposed,Thy mortal puissance would from its raysShrink, as the leaf doth from the thunderbolt.Into the seventh splendour1 are we wafted,That, underneath the burning lion's breast,2Beams, in this hour, commingled with his might.Thy mind be with thine eyes; and, in them, mirror'd'The shape, which in this mirror shall be shown."Whoso can deem, how fondly I had fedMy sight upon her blissful countenance,May know, when to new thoughts I changed, what joyTo do the bidding of my heavenly guide;In equal balance,3 poising either weight.Within the crystal, which records the name(As its remoter circle girds the world)
¶" Ripheus and Trajan. Saturn (soon after, v. 22, called the
p. 375¶Of that loved monarch,' in whose happy reignNo ill had power to harm, I saw rear'd up,In colour like to sun-illumined gold,A ladder, which my ken pursued in vain,So lofty was the summit; down whose stepsI saw the splendours in such multitudeDescending, every light in Heaven, methought,Was shed thence. As the rooks, at dawn of day,Bestirring them to dry their feathers chill,Some speed their way a-field; and homeward some,Returning, cross their flight; while some abide,And wheel around their airy lodge: so seem'dThat glitterance, 6 wafted on alternate wing,As upon certain stair it came, and clash'dIts shining. And one, lingering near us, wax'dSo bright, that in my thought I said: "The love,Which this betokens me, admits no doubt."Unwillingly from question I refrain;To her, by whom my silence and my speechAre order'd, looking for a sign: whence she,Who in the sight of Him, that seeth all,Saw wherefore I was silent, prompted meTo indulge the fervent wish; and I began:"I am not worthy, of my own desert,That thou shouldst answer me: but for her sake,Who hath vouchsafed my asking, spirit blest,That in thy joy art shrouded! say the cause,Which bringeth thee so near: and wherefore, say,Doth the sweet symphony of ParadiseKeep silence here, pervading with such soundsOf rapt devotion every lower sphere?""Mortal art thou in hearing, as in sight;"Was the reply: "and what forbade the smile 7Of Beatrice interrupts our song.Only to yield thee gladness of my voice,And of the light that vests me, I thus farDescend these hallow'd steps; not that more love
¶s Saturn. Compare Hell, Canto xiv. the ladder, made those different move- 91. ments, as of birds.
p. 376¶Invites me; for, lo! there aloft," as muchOr more of love is witness'd in those flames:But such my lot by charity assign'd,That makes us ready servants, as thou seest,To execute the counsel of the Highest.""That in this court," said I, "O sacred lamp!Love no compulsion needs, but follows freeThe eternal Providence, I well discern:This harder find to deem: why, of thy peers,Thou only, to this office wert foredoom'd."I had not ended, when, like rapid mill,Upon its centre whirl'd the light; and thenThe love that did inhabit there, replied:"Splendour eternal, piercing through these folds,Its virtue to my vision knits; and thusSupported, lifts me so above myself,That on the sovran Essence, which it wells from,I have the power to gaze: and hence the joy,Wherewith I sparkle, equaling with my blazeThe keenness of my sight. But not the soul,*That is in Heaven most lustrous, nor the Seraph,That hath his eyes most fix'd on God, shall solveWhat thou hast ask'd: for in the abyss it liesOf th' everlasting statute sunk so low,That no created ken may fathom it.And, to the mortal world when thou return'st,Be this reported: that none henceforth dareDirect his footsteps to so dread a bourn.The mind, that here is radiant, on the earthIs wrapt in mist. Look then if she may doBelow, what passeth her abilityWhen she is ta'en to Heaven." By words like theseAdmonish'd, I the question urged no more;And of the spirit humbly sued aloneTo instruct me of its state. " 'Twixt either shore"Of Italy, nor distant from thy land,A stony ridge" ariseth; in such sort,
¶• "There aloft." Where the other very Angels themselves.souls were. Between the Adriatic Gulf and• "Not the soul." The particular ends the Mediterranean Sea.of Providence being concealed from the A part of the Apennines.
The thunder doth not lift his voice so high.They call it Catria: 12 at whose foot, a cell
¶Is sacred to the lonely Eremite;
For worship set apart and holy rites."A third time thus it spake; then added: "ThereSo firmly to God's service I adhered,That with no costlier viands than the juice
¶Of olives, easily I pass'd the heats
Of summer and the winter frosts; contentIn heaven-ward musings. Rich were the returnsAnd fertile, which that cloister once was usedTo render to these Heavens: now 'tis fallenInto a waste so empty, that ere longDetection must lay bare its vanity.Pietro Damiano 13 there was I y-clept:Pietro the sinner, when before I dwelt,
¶Beside the Adriatic, 14 in the house
Of our blest Lady. Near upon my closeOf mortal life, through much importuningI was constrain'd to wear the hat, 15 that stillFrom bad to worse is shifted.—Cephas 18 came:He came, who was the Holy Spirit's vessel; 17Barefoot and lean; eating their bread, as chanced,At the first table. Modern Shepherds need
¶" Now ihe Abbey of Santa Croce, at Faenza in 1072. His letters throw in the Duchy of Urbino, about half much light on the obscure history of way between Gubbio and La Pergola. these times. Besides them, he has left Here Dante is said to have resided for several treatises on sacred and ecsome time. clesiastical subjects. His eloquence is
¶1 1 "Pietro Damiano." " S . Pietro worthy of a better age." Tiraboschi, Damiano obtained a great and well- Storia della Lett. Ital.
¶merited reputation by the pains he 1 4 Some editions and manuscripts took to correct the abuses among the have "fu," instead of "fui." According clergy. Ravenna is supposed to have to the former of these readings, S. been the place of his birth, about 1007. Pietro Damiano is made to distinguish He was employed in several important himself from S. Pietro degli Oncsti, missions, ami rewarded by Stephen IX surnamed "II Peccator," founder of with the dignity of cardinal, and the the monastery of S. Maria del Porto, on bishopric of Ostia, to which, however, the Adriatic coast, near Ravenna, who he preferred his former retreat in the died in n 19, at about eighty years of monastery of Fonte Avellana, and pre age.
¶vailed on Alexander II to permit him 1 8 " The hat." The cardinal's hat.
¶to retire thither. Yet he did not long " " Cephas . " St. Peter.
¶continue in this seclusion, before he 1 7 St. Paul. See Hell, Canto ii. 30.
¶was sent on other embassies. He died
p. 378¶Those who on either hand may prop and lead them,So burly are they grown; and from behind,Others to hoist them. Down the palfrey's sidesSpread their broad mantles, so as both the beastsAre cover'd with one skin. O patience! thouThat look'st on this, and dost endure so long."I at those accents saw the splendours downFrom step to step alight, and wheel, and wax,Each circuiting, more beautiful. Round this"They came, and stay'd them; utter'd then a shoutSo loud, it hath no likeness here: nor IWist what it spake, so deafening was the thunder.
Canto XXII
¶ARGUMENT . — He beholds many other spirits of the devout and contemplative; and among these is addressed by St. Benedict, who, after disclosing his own name and the names of certain of his companions in bliss, replies to the request made by our Poet that he might look on the form of the saint, without that covering of splendor, which then invested it; and then proceeds, lastly, to inveigh against the corruption of the monks. Next Dante mounts with his heavenly conductress to the eighth heaven, or that of the fixed stars, which he enters at the constellation of the Twins; and thence looking back, reviews all the space he has passed between his present station and the earth.
¶ASTOUNDED, to the guardian of my steps/ % I turn'd me, like the child, who always runs/ % Thither for succour, where he trusteth most:And she was like the mother, who her sonBeholding pale and breathless, with her voiceSoothes him, and he is cheer'd; for thus she spake,Soothing me: "Know'st not thou, thou art in Heaven?And know'st not thou, whatever is in Heaven,Is holy; and that nothing there is done,But is done zealously and well? Deem now,What change in thee the song, and what my smileHad wrought, since thus the shout had power to movethee;In which, couldst thou have understood their prayers,The vengeance1 were already known to thee,Which thou must witness ere thy mortal hour.
¶M "Round this." Round the spirit of posed, intimates the approaching fate of Pietro Damiano. Boniface VIII. Sec Purgatory, Canto xx.
p. 379¶The sword of Heaven is not in haste to smite,Nor yet doth linger; save unto his seeming,Who, in desire or fear, doth look for it.But elsewhere now I bid thee turn thy view;So shalt thou many a famous spirit behold."Mine eyes directing, as she will'd, I sawA hundred little spheres, that fairer grewBy interchange of splendour. I remain'd,As one, who fearful of o'er-much presuming,Abates in him the keenness of desire,Nor dares to question; when, amid those pearls,One largest and most lustrous onward drew,That it might yield contentment to my wish;And, from within it, these the sounds I heard."If thou, like me, beheld'st the charityThat burns amongst us; what thy mind conceivesWere utter'd. But that, ere the lofty boundThou reach, expectance may not weary thee;I will make answer even to the thought,Which thou hast such respect of. In old days,That mountain, at whose side Cassino 2 rests,Was, on its height, frequented by a raceDeceived and ill-disposed: and I it was, 3Who thither carried first the name of Him,Who brought the soul-subliming truth to man.And such a speeding grace shone over me,That from their impious worship I reclaim'dThe dwellers round about, who with the worldWere in delusion lost. These other flames,The spirits of men contemplative, were allEnliven'd by that warmth, whose kindly forceGives birth to flowers and fruits of holiness.Here is Macarius;* Romoaldo 5 here;[380]And here my brethren, who their steps refrain'dWithin the cloisters, and held firm their heart."I answering thus: "Thy gende words and kind,And this the cheerful semblance I behold,Not unobservant, beaming in ye all,Have raised assurance in me; wakening itFull-blossom'd in my bosom, as a roseBefore the sun, when the consummate flowerHas spread to utmost amplitude. Of theeTherefore intreat I, father, to declareIf I may gain such favour, as to gazeUpon thine image by no covering veil'd.""Brother!" he thus rejoin'd, "in the last sphere*Expect completion of thy lofty aim:For there on each desire completion waits,And there on mine; where every aim is foundPerfect, entire, and for fulfilment ripe.There all things are as they have ever been:For space is none to bound; nor pole divides.Our ladder reaches even to that clime;And so, at giddy distance, mocks thy view.Thither the patriarch Jacob 7 saw it stretchIts topmost round; when it appear'd to himWith Angels laden. But to mount it nowNone lifts his foot from earth: and hence my ruleIs left a profidess stain upon the leaves;The walls, for abbey rear'd, turn'd into dens;The cowls, to sacks choak'd up with musty meal.Foul usury doth not more lift itselfAgainst God's pleasure, than that fruit, which makes,The hearts of monks so wanton: for whate'erIs in the Church's keeping, all pertainsTo such, as sue for Heaven's sweet sake; and notTo those, who in respect of kindred claim,Or on more vile allowance. Mortal flesh
p. 380¶• ' I n the last sphere." The Empyrean, dreamed, and behold, a ladder set upon where he afterward sees St. Benedict, the earth, and the top of it reached to Canto xxxii. ?o. Beatified spirits, though heaven: and behold the angels of God they have different heavens allotted them, ascending and descending on it."—Gen. have all their seats in that higher sphere. xxviii. 12.
p. 381¶Is grown so dainty, good beginnings last notFrom the oak's birth unto the acorn's setting.His convent Peter founded without goldOr silver; I, with prayers and fasting, mine;And Francis, his in meek humility.And if thou note the point, whence each proceeds,Then look what it hath err'd to; thou shalt findThe white grown murky. Jordan was turn'd back:And a less wonder, than the refluent sea,May, at God's pleasure, work amendment here."So saying, to his assembly back he drew:And they together cluster'd into one;Then all roll'd upward, like an eddying wind.The sweet dame beckon'd me to follow them:And, by that influence only, so prevail'dOver my nature, that no natural motion,Ascending or descending here below,Had, as I mounted, with my pennon vied.So, reader, as my hope is to returnUnto the holy triumph, for the whichI oft-times wail my sins, and smite my breast;Thou hadst been longer drawing out and thrustingThy finger in the fire, than I was, ereThe sign, 8 that followeth Taurus, I beheld,And enter'd its precinct. O glorious stars!O light impregnate with exceeding virtue!To whom whate'er of genius lifteth meAbove the vulgar, grateful I refer;With ye the parent 9 of all mortal lifeArose and set, when I did first inhaleThe Tuscan air; and afterward, when graceVouchsafed me entrance to the lofty wheel 10That in its orb impels ye, fate decreedMy passage at your clime. To you my soulDevoudy sighs, for virtue, even now,To meet the hard emprise that draws me on."Thou art so near the sum of blessedness,"
¶' "The sign." The constellation of constellation of the Twins at the time of Gemini. Dante's birth.
¶•"The parent," The sun was in the 1 0 " The lofty wheel." The eighth
¶heaven; that of the fixed stars.[382]Said Beatrice, "that behoves thy kenBe vigilant and clear. And, to this end,Or ever thou advance thee further, henceLook downward, and contemplate, what a worldAlready stretch'd under our feet there lies:So as thy heart may, in its blithest mood,Present itself to the triumphal throng,Which, through the ethereal concave, comes rejoicing.'I straight obey'd; and with mine eye return'dThrough all the seven spheres; and saw this globeSo pitiful of semblance, that perforceIt moved my smiles: and him in truth I holdFor wisest, who esteems it least; whose thoughtsElsewhere are fix'd, him worthiest call and best.I saw the daughter of Latona shineWithout the shadow," whereof late I deem'dThat dense and rare were cause. Here I sustain'dThe visage, Hyperion, of thy son; 12And mark'd, how near him with their circles, roundMove Maia and Dione; 13 here discern'dJove's tempering 'twixt his sire and son;" and hence,Their changes and their various aspects,Distinctly scann'd. Nor might I not descryOf all the seven, how bulky each, how swift;Nor, of their several distances, not learn.This petty area, (o'er the which we strideSo fiercely), as along the eternal TwinsI wound my way, appear'd before me all,Forth from the havens stretch'd unto the hills.Then, to the beauteous eyes, mine eyes return'd.
¶"Without the shadow." See Canto mother of the latter, and Maia of the u.1 1 . former deity.
¶" " Of thy son." The sun. " " 'Twixt his sire and son." Betwixt
Canto XXIII
¶ARGUMENT . — He sees Christ triumphing with his Church. The Saviour ascends followed by his Virgin Mother. The others remain with St. Peter.
¶E'EN as the bird, who midst the leafy bowerHas, in her nest, sat darkling through the night,With her sweet brood; impatient to descryTheir wished looks, and to bring home their food,In the fond quest unconscious of her toil:She, of the time prevenient, on the spray,That overhangs their couch, with wakeful gazeExpects the sun; nor ever, till the dawn,Removeth from the east her eager ken:So stood the dame erect, and bent her glanceWistfully on that region, 1 where the sunAbateth most his speed; that, seeing herSuspense and wondering, I became as one,In whom desire is waken'd, and the hopeOf somewhat new to come fills with delight.Short space ensued; I was not held, I say,Long in expectance, when I saw the HeavenWax more and more resplendent; and, "Behold,"Cried Beatrice, "the triumphal hostsOf Christ, and all the harvest gather'd in,Made ripe by these revolving spheres." Meseem'd,That, while she spake, her image all did burn;And in her eyes such fulness was of joy,As I am fain to pass unconstrued by.As in the calm full moon, when Trivia 2 smiles,In peerless beauty, 'mid the eternal nymphs, 1That paint through all its gulfs the blue profound;In bright pre-eminence so saw I thereO'er million lamps a Sun, from whom all drewTheir radiance, as from ours the starry train:And, through the living light, so lustrous glow'dThe substance, that my ken endured it not.[384]0 Beatrice! sweet and precious guide,Who cheer'd me with her comfortable words:"Against the virtue, that o'erpowereth thee,Avails not to resist. Here is the Might, 4And here the Wisdom, which did open layThe path, that had been yearned for so long,Betwixt the Heaven and earth." Like to the fire,That, in a cloud imprison'd, doth break outExpansive, so that from its womb enlarged,It falleth against nature to the ground;Thus, in that heavenly banqueting, my soulOutgrew herself; and, in the transport lost,Holds now remembrance none of what she was."Ope thou thine eyes, and mark me: thou hast seenThings, that empower thee to sustain my smile."I was as one, when a forgotten dreamDoth come across him, and he strives in vainTo shape it in his fantasy again:Whenas that gracious boon was proffer'd me,Which never may be cancel'd from the bookWherein the past is written. Now were allThose tongues to sound, that have, on sweetest milkOf Polyhymnia and her sisters, fedAnd fatten'd; not with all their help to boot,Unto the thousandth parcel of the truth,My song might shadow forth that saintly smile,How merely, in her saindy looks, it wrought.And, with such figuring of Paradise,The sacred strain must leap, like one that meetsA sudden interruption to his road.But he, who thinks how ponderous the theme,And that 'tis laid upon a mortal shoulder,May pardon, if it tremble with the burden.The track, our venturous keel must furrow, brooksNo unribb'd pinnace, no self-sparing pilot."Why doth my face," said Beatrice, "thusEnamour thee, as that thou dost not turnUnto the beautiful garden, blossoming[385]Beneath the rays of Christ? Here is the Rose,*Wherein the Word Divine was made incarnate;And here the lilies, 6 by whose odour knownThe way of life was follow'd." Prompt I heardHer bidding, and encounter'd once againThe strife of aching vision. As, erewhile, [cloud,Through glance of sun-light, stream'd through brokenMine eyes a flower-besprinkled mead have seen;Though veil'd themselves in shade: so saw I thereLegions of splendours, on whom burning raysShed lightnings from above; yet saw I notThe fountain whence they flow'd. O gracious VirtueThou, whose broad stamp is on them, higher upThou didst exalt Thy glory, 7 to give roomTo my o'erlabour'd sight; when at the nameOf that fair flower, 6 whom duly I invokeBoth morn and eve, my soul with all her mightCollected, on the goodliest ardour fix'd.And, as the bright dimensions of the starIn Heaven excelling, as once here on earth,Were, in my eye-balls livelily pourtray'd;Lo! from within the sky a cresset* fell,Circling in fashion of a diadem;And girt the star; and, hovering, round it wheel'd.Whatever melody sounds sweetest here,And draws the spirit most unto itself,Might seem a rent cloud, when it grates the thunder;Compared unto the sounding of that lyre, 10Wherewith the goodliest sapphire, 11 that inlaysThe floor of Heaven, was crown'd. "Angelic LoveI am, who thus with hovering flight enwheel[386]The lofty rapture from that womb inspired,Where our desire did dwell: and round thee so,Lady of Heaven! will hover; long as thouThy Son shalt follow, and diviner joyShall from thy presence gild the highest sphere."Such close was to the circling melody:And, as it ended, all the other lightsTook up the strain, and echoed Mary's name.The robe, 12 that with its regal folds enwrapsThe world, and with the nearer breath of GodDoth burn and quiver, held so far retiredIts inner hem and skirting over us,That yet no glimmer of its majestyHad stream'd unto me: therefore were mine eyesUnequal to pursue the crowned flame, 11That towering rose, and sought the seed 14 it bore.And like to babe, that stretches forth its armsFor very eagerness toward the breast,After the milk is taken; so outstretch'dTheir wavy summits all the fervent band,Through zealous love to Mary: then, in view,There halted; and "Regina Cceli" 15 sangSo sweedy, the delight hath left me never.Oh! what o'erflowing plenty is up-piledIn those rich-laden coffers, 16 which belowSow'd the good seed, whose harvest now they keep.Here are the treasures tasted, that with tearsWere in the Babylonian exile 17 won,When gold had fail'd them. Here, in synod highOf ancient council with the new convened,Under the Son of Mary and of God,Victorious he 18 his mighty triumph holds,To whom the keys of glory were assign'd.
p. 386¶n " The robe." The ninth heaven, the " ' Those rich-laden coffers." Those primum mobile, that enfolds and moves spirits, who, having sown the seed of the eight lower heavens. good works on earth, now contain the
¶" " The crowned flame." The Virgin, fruit of their pious endeavors.
¶with the angel hovering over her. 1 7 "In the Babylonian exile." During
Canto XXIV
¶ARGUMENT.—St, Peter examines Dante touching Faith, and is contented with his answers.
¶" YE! in chosen fellowship advanced• I To the great supper of the blessed Lamb,Whereon who feeds hath every wish fulfill'd;If to this man through God's grace be vouchsafedForetaste of that, which from your table falls,Or ever death his fated term prescribe;Be ye not heedless of his urgent will:But may some influence of your sacred dewsSprinkle him. Of the fount ye alway drink,Whence flows what most he craves." Beatrice spake;And the rejoicing spirits, like to spheresOn firm-set poles revolving, trail'd a blazeOf comet splendour: and as wheels, that windTheir circles in the horologe, so workThe stated rounds, that to the observant eyeThe first seems still, and as it flew, the last;E'en thus their carols weaving variously,They, by the measure paced, or swift, or slow,Made me to rate the riches of their joy.From that, which I did note in beauty mostExcelling, saw I issue forth a flameSo bright, as none was left more goodly there.Round Beatrice thrice it wheel'd about,With so divine a song, that fancy's earRecords it not; and the pen passeth on,And leaves a blank: for that our mortal speech,Nor e'en the inward shaping of the brain,Hath colours fine enough to trace such folds."O saindy sister mine! thy prayer devoutIs with so vehement affection urged,Thou dost unbind me from that beauteous sphere."Such were the accents towards my lady breathedFrom that blest ardour, soon as it was stay'd;To whom she thus: "O everlasting lightOf him, within whose mighty grasp our LordDid leave the keys, which of this wondrous bliss[388]He bare below! tent this man as thou wilt,With lighter probe or deep, touching the faith,By the which thou didst on the billows walk.If he in love, in hope, and in belief,Be steadfast, is not hid from thee: for thouHast there thy ken, where all things are beheldIn liveliest portraiture. But since true faithHas peopled this fair realm with citizens;Meet is, that to exalt its glory more,Thou, in his audience, shouldst thereof discourse."Like to the bachelor, who arms himself,And speaks not, till the master have proposedThe question, to approve, and not to end it;So I, in silence, arm'd me, while she spake,Summoning up each argument to aid;As was behoveful for such questioner,And such profession: "As good Christian ought,Declare thee, what is faith?" Whereat I raisedMy forehead to the light, whence this had breathed;Then turn'd to Beatrice; and in her looksApproval met, that from their inmost fountI should unlock the waters. "May the grace,That giveth me the captain of the ChurchFor confessor," said I, "vouchsafe to meApt utterance for my thoughts;" then added: "Sire!E'en as set down by the unerring styleOf thy dear brother, who with thee conspiredTo bring Rome in unto the way of life,Faith of things hoped is substance, and the proofOf things not seen; and herein doth consistMethinks its essence."—"Rightly hast thou deem'd,"Was answer'd; "if thou well discern, why firstHe hath defined it substance, and then proof.""The deep things," I replied, "which here I scanDistinctly, are below from mortal eyeSo hidden, they have in belief aloneTheir being; on which credence, hope sublimeIs built: and, therefore substance, it intends.And inasmuch as we must needs infer[389]From such belief our reasoning, all respectTo other view excluded; hence of proofThe intention is derived." Forthwith I heard:"If thus, whate'er by learning men attain,Were understood; the sophist would want roomTo exercise his wit." So breathed the flameOf love; then added: "Current is the coinThou utter'st, both in weight and in alloy.But tell me, if thou hast it in thy purse.""Even so glittering and so round," said I,"I not a whit misdoubt of its assay."Next issued from the deep-imbosom'd splendour:"Say, whence the costly jewel, on the whichIs founded every virtue, came to thee.""The flood," I answer'd, "from the Spirit of GodRain'd down upon the ancient bond and new, 1—Here is the reasoning that convinceth meSo feelingly, each argument besideSeems blunt and forceless in comparison."Then heard I: "Wherefore holdest thou that each,The elder proposition and the new,Which so persuade thee, are the voice of Heaven?""The works, that follow'd, evidence their truth,"I answer'd: "Nature did not make for theseThe iron hot, or on her anvil mould them.""Who voucheth to thee of the works themselves,"Was the reply, "that they in very deedAre that they purport? None hath sworn so to thee.""That all the world," said I, "should have beenturn'dTo Christian, and no miracle been wrought,Would in itself be such a miracle,The rest were not an hundredth part so great.E'en thou went'st forth in poverty and hungerTo set the goodly plant, that, from the vineIt once was, now is grown unsightly bramble."That ended, through the high celestial courtResounded all the spheres, "Praise we one God!"[390]In song of most unearthly melody.And when that Worthy1 thus, from branch to branch,Examining, had led me, that we nowApproach'd the topmost bough; he straight resumed:"The grace, that holds sweet dalliance with thy soulSo far discreedy hath thy lips unclosed;That, whatsoe'er has past them, I commend.Behoves thee to express, what thou believest,The next; and, whereon, thy belief hath grown.""O saintly sire and spirit!" I began,"Who seest that, which thou didst so believe,As to outstrip feet younger than thine own,Toward the sepulchre; thy will is here,That I the tenour of my creed unfold;And thou, the cause of it, hast likewise ask'd.And I reply: I in one God believe;One sole eternal Godhead, of whose loveAll Heaven is moved, Himself unmoved the while.Nor demonstration physical alone,Or more intelligenual and abstruse,Persuades me to this faith: but from that truthIt cometh to me rather, which is shedThrough Moses; the rapt Prophets; and the Psalms;The Gospel; and what ye yourselves did write,When ye were gifted of the Holy Ghost.In three eternal Persons I believe;Essence threefold and one; mysterious leagueOf union absolute, which, many a time,The word of gospel lore upon my mindImprints: and from this germ, this firstling sparkThe lively flame dilates; and, like Heaven's star,Doth glitter in me." As the master hears,Well pleased, and then enfoldeth in his armsThe servant, who hath joyful tidings brought,And having told the errand keeps his peace;Thus benediction uttering with song,Soon as my peace I held, compass'd me thrice[391]The apostolic radiance, whose behestHad oped my lips: so well their answer pleased.
Canto XXV
¶ARGUMENT . — S t , James questions our Poet concerning Hope. Next St. John appears; and, on perceiving that Dante looks intently on him, informs him that he, St. John, had left his body resolved into earth, upon the earth, and that Christ and the Virgin alone had come with their bodies into Heaven.
¶IF e'er the sacred poem, that hath madeBoth Heaven and earth copartners in its toil,And with lean abstinence, through many a year,Faded my brow, be destined to prevailOver the cruelty, which bars me forthOf the fair sheep-fold, 1 where, a sleeping lamb,The wolves set on and fain had worried me;With other voice, and fleece of other grain,I shall forthwith return; and, standing upAt my baptismal font, shall claim the wreathDue to the poet's temples: for I thereFirst enter'd on the faith, which maketh soulsAcceptable to God: and, for its sake, 2Peter had then circled my forehead thus.Next from the squadron, whence had issued forthThe first fruit of Christ's vicars on the earth,Toward us moved a light, at view whereofMy Lady, full of gladness, spake to me:"Lo! lo! behold the peer of mickle might,That makes Galicia throng'd with visitants." 1As when the ring-dove by his mate alights;In circles, each about the other wheels,And, murmuring, coos his fondness; thus saw I[392]One, of the other 4 great and glorious prince,With kindly greeting, hail'd; extolling, both,Their heavenly banqueting: but when an endWas to their gratulation, silent, each,Before me sat they down, so burning bright,I could not look upon them. Smiling then,Beatrice spake: "O life in glory shrined!Who 5 didst the largess of our kingly courtSet down with faithful pen, let now thy voice,Of hope the praises, in this height resound.For well thou know'st, who figurest it as oft,As Jesus, to ye three, more brighdy shone.""Lift up thy head; and be thou strong in trust:For that, which hither from the mortal worldArriveth, must be ripen'd in our beam."Such cheering accents from the second flame*Assured me; and mine eyes I lifted up 7Unto the mountains, that had bow'd them lateWith over-heavy burden. "Sith our LiegeWills of His grace, that thou, or e'er thy death,In the most secret council with His lordsShouldst be confronted, so that having view'dThe glories of our court, thou mayest therewithThyself, and all who hear, invigorateWith hope, that leads to blissful end; declare,What is that hope? how it doth flourish in thee?And whence thou hadst it?" Thus, proceeding still,The second light: and she, whose gentle loveMy soaring pennons in that lofty flightEscorted, thus preventing me, rejoin'd:"Among her sons, not one more full of hope,Hath the Church Militant: so 'tis of himRecorded in the Sun, whose liberal orbEnlightened all our tribe: and ere his termOf warfare, hence permitted he is come,[393]From Egypt to Jerusalem, 8 to see.The other points, both which 9 thou hast inquired,Not for more knowledge, but that he may tellHow dear thou hold'st the virtue; these to himLeave I: for he may answer thee with ease,And without boasting, so God give him grace."Like to the scholar, practised in his task,Who, willing to give proof of diligence,Seconds his teacher gladly; "Hope," said I,"Is of the joy to come a sure expectance,The effect of grace divine and merit preceding.This light from many a star, visits my heart;But flow'd to me, the first, from him who sangThe songs of the Supreme; himself supremeAmong his tuneful brethren. 'Let all hopeIn thee,' so spake his anthem, 'who have knownThy name;' and, with my faith, who knows not that?From thee, the next, distilling from his spring,In thine epistle, fell on me the dropsSo plenteously, that I on others showerThe influence of their dew." Whileas I spake,A lamping, as of quick and volley'd lightning,Within the bosom of that mighty sheen 10Play'd tremulous; then forth these accents breathed:"Love for the virtue, which attended meE'en to the palm, and issuing from the field,Glows vigorous yet within me; and inspiresTo ask of thee, whom also it delights,What promise thou from hope, in chief, dost win.""Both scriptures, new and ancient," I replied,"Propose the mark (which even now I view)For souls beloved of God. Isaias 11 saith,'That, in their own land, each one must be cladIn two-fold vesture;' and their proper landIs this delicious life. In terms more full,[394]And clearer far, thy brother" hath set forthThis revelation to us, where he tellsOf the white raiment destined to the saints."And, as the words were ending, from above,"They hope in Thee!" first heard we cried: wheretoAnswer'd the carols all. Amidst them next,A light of so clear amplitude emerged,That winter's month were but a single day,Were such a crystal in the Cancer's sign.Like as a virgin riseth up, and goes,And enters on the mazes of the dance;Though gay, yet innocent of worse intent,Than to do fitting honour to the bride:So I beheld the new effulgence comeUnto the other two, who in a ringWheel'd, as became their rapture. In the dance,And in the song, it mingled. And the dameHeld on them fix'd her looks; e'en as the spouse,Silent, and moveless. "This" is he, who layUpon the bosom of our Pelican:This he, into whose keeping, from the Cross,The mighty charge was given." Thus she spake:Yet therefore naught the more removed her sightFrom marking them: or e'er her words began,Or when they closed. As he, who looks intent,And strives with searching ken, how he may seeThe sun in his eclipse, and, through desireOf seeing, loseth power of sight; so I"Peer'd on that last resplendence, while I heard:"Why dazzlest thou thine eyes in seeking that,Which here abides not? Earth my body is,In earth; and shall be, with the rest, so long,As till our number equal the decreeOf the Most High. The two" that have ascended,[395]In this our blessed cloister, shine aloneWith the two garments. So report below."As when, for ease of labour, or to shunSuspected peril, at a whistle's breath,The oars, erewhile dash'd frequent in the wave,All rest: the flamy circle at that voiceSo rested; and the mingling sound was still,Which from the trinal band, soft-breathing, rose.I turn'd, but ah! how trembled in my thought,When, looking at my side again to seeBeatrice, I descried her not; although,Not distant, on the happy coast she stood.
Canto XXVI
¶ARGUMENT . — S t John examines our Poet touching Charity. Afterward Adam tells when he was created, and placed in the terrestrial Paradise; how long he remained in that state; what was the occasion of his fall; when he was admitted into Heaven; and what language he spake.
¶WITH dazzled eyes, whilst wondering I remain'd;Forth of the beamy flame,' which dazzled me,Issued a breath, that in attention muteDetain'd me; and these words it spake: " 'Twere wellThat, long as till thy vision, on my formO'erspent, regain its virtue, with discourseThou compensate the brief delay. Say then,Beginning, to what point thy soul aspires:And meanwhile rest assured, that sight in theeIs but o'erpower'd a space, not wholly quench'd;Since thy fair guide and lovely, in her lookHath potency, the like to that, which dweltIn Ananias' hand."1 I answering thus:"Be to mine eyes the remedy, or lateOr early, at her pleasure; for they wereThe gates, at which she enter'd, and did lightHer never-dying fire. My wishes hereAre centred: in this palace is the weal,That Alpha and Omega is, to all[396]The lessons love can read me." Yet againThe voice, which had dispersed my fear when dazedWith that excess, to converse urged, and spake:"Behoves thee sift more narrowly thy terms;And say, who level'd at this scope thy bow.""Philosophy," said I, "hath arguments,And this place hath authority enough,To imprint in me such love: for, of constraint,Good, inasmuch as we perceive the good,Kindles our love; and in degree the more,As it comprises more of goodness in't.The essence then, where such advantage is,That each good, found without it, is naught elseBut of His light the beam, must needs attractThe soul of each one, loving, who the truthDiscerns, on which this proof is built. Such truthLearn I from Him, who shows me the first loveOf all intelligential substancesEternal: from His voice I learn, whose wordIs truth; that of Himself to Moses saith,'I will make all My good before thee pass:'Lastly, from thee I learn, who chief proclaim'st,E'en at the outset 3 of thy heralding,In mortal ears the mystery of Heaven.""Through human wisdom, and the authorityTherewith agreeing," heard I answer'd, "keepThe choicest of thy love for God. But say,If thou yet other cords within thee feel'st,That draw thee towards Him; so that thou reportHow many are the fangs, with which this loveIs grappled to thy soul." I did not miss,To what intent the eagle of our Lord*Had pointed his demand; yea, noted wellThe avowal which he led to; and resumed:"All grappling bonds, that knit the heart to God,Confederate to make fast our charity.The being of the world; and mine own being;The death which He endured, that I should live;And that, which all the faithful hope, as I do;
p. 396¶" At the outset." John i. i , etc. 4 ' The eagle of our Lord." St. John.[397]To the foremention'd lively knowledge join'd;Have from the sea of ill love saved my bark,And on the coast secured it of the right.As for the leaves, 5 that in the garden bloom,My love for them is great, as is the goodDealt by the eternal hand, that tends them all."I ended: and therewith a song most sweetRang through the spheres; and "Holy, holy, holy,"Accordant with the rest, my lady sang.And as a sleep is broken and dispersedThrough sharp encounter of the nimble light,With the eye's spirit running forth to meetThe ray, from membrane on to membrane urged;And the upstartled wight loathes that he sees;So, at his sudden waking, he misdeemsOf all around him, till assurance waitsOn better judgment: thus the saintly dameDrove from before mine eyes the motes away,With the resplendence of her own, that castTheir brightness downward, thousand miles below.Whence I my vision, clearer than before,Recover'd; and well nigh astounded, ask'dOf a fourth light, that now with us I saw.And Beatrice: "The first living soul,*That ever the first Virtue framed, admiresWithin these rays his Maker." Like the leaf,That bows its lithe top till the blast is blown;By its own virtue rear'd, then stands aloof:So I, the whilst she said, awe-stricken bow'd.Then eagerness to speak embolden'd me;And I began: "O fruit! that wast aloneMature, when first engender'd; ancient father!That doubly seest in every wedded brideThy daughter, by affinity and blood;Devoutly as I may, I pray thee holdConverse with me: my will thou seest: and I,More speedily to hear thee, tell it not."It chanceth oft some animal bewrays,Through the sleek covering of his furry coat,
¶' " The leaves." Created beings. * " The first living soul." Adam.
p. 398¶The fondness, that stirs in him, and conformsHis outside seeming to the cheer within:And in like guise was Adam's spirit movedTo joyous mood, that through the covering shone,Transparent, when to pleasure me it spake:"No need thy will be told, which I untoldBetter discern, than thou whatever thingThou hold'st most certain: for that will I seeIn Him, who is truth's mirror; and Himself,Parhelion unto all things, and naught else,To Him. This wouldst thou hear: how long since, GodPlaced me in that high garden, from whose boundsShe led thee up this ladder, steep and long;What space endured my season of delight;Whence truly sprang the wrath that banish'd me;And what the language, which I spake and framed.Not that I tasted of the tree, my son,Was in itself the cause of that exile,But only my transgressing of the markAssign'd me. There, whence1 at thy lady's hestThe Mantuan moved him, still was I debarr'dThis council, till the sun had made complete,Four thousand and three hundred rounds and twice,His annual journey; and, through every lightIn his broad pathway, saw I him return,Thousand save seventy times, the whilst I dweltUpon the earth. The language I did useWas worn away, or ever Nimrod's raceTheir unaccomplishable work began.For naught, that man inclines to, e'er was lasting;Left by his reason free, and variableAs is the sky that sways him. That he speaks,Is nature's prompting: whether thus, or thus,She leaves to you, as ye do most affect it.Ere I descended into Hell's abyss,El was the name on earth of the Chief Good,Whose joy enfolds me: Eh then 'twas call'd.[399]And so beseemeth: for, in mortals, useIs as the leaf upon the bough: that goes,And other comes instead. Upon the mountMost high above the waters, all my life,Both innocent and guilty, did but reachFrom the first hour, to that which cometh next(As the sun changes quarter) to the sixth."
Canto XXVII
¶ARC U MEN T . — S t . Peter bitterly rebukes the covetousness of his successors in the Apostolic See, while all the heavenly host sympathize in his indignation; they then vanish upward. Beatrice bids Dante again cast his view below. Afterward they are borne into the ninth heaven, of which she shows him the nature and properties; blaming the pcrverseness of man, who places his will on low and perishable things.
¶HEN "Glory to the Father, to the Son,TAnd to the Holy Spirit," rang aloudThroughout all Paradise; that with the songMy spirit reel'd, so passing sweet the strain.And what I saw was equal ecstasy:One universal smile it seem'd of all things;Joy past compare; gladness unutterable;Imperishable life of peace and love;Exhaustless riches, and unmeasured bliss.Before mine eyes stood the four torches' lit:And that,1 which first had come, began to waxIn brightness; and, in semblance, such became,As Jove might be, if he and Mars were birds,And interchanged their plumes. Silence ensued,Through the blest quire; by Him, who here appointsVicissitude of ministry, enjoin'd;When thus I heard: "Wonder not, if my hueBe changed; for, while I speak, these shalt thou seeAll in like manner change with me. My placeHe2 who usurps on earth, (my place, ay, mine,Which in the presence of the Son of GodIs void,) the same hath made my cemeteryA common sewer of puddle and of blood:[400]The more below his triumph, who from henceMalignant fell." Such colour, as the sun,At eve or morning, paints an adverse cloud,Then saw I sprinkled over all the sky.And as the unblemish'd dame, who, in herselfSecure of censure, yet at bare reportOf other's failing, shrinks with maiden fear;So Beatrice, in her semblance, changed:And such eclipse in Heaven, methinks, was seen,When the Most Holy suffer'd. Then the wordsProceeded, with voice, alter'd from itselfSo clean, the semblance did not alter more."Not to this end was Christ's spouse with my blood,With that of Linus, and of Cletus, 4 fed;That she might serve for purchase of base gold:But for the purchase of this happy life,Did Sextus, Pius, and Callixtus bleed,And Urban;' they, whose doom was not withoutMuch weeping seal'd. No purpose was of ours,*That on the right hand of our successors,Part of the Christian people should be set,And part upon their left; nor that the keys,Which were vouchsafed me, should for ensign serveUnto the banners, that do levy warOn the baptized; nor I, for sigil-mark,Set upon sold and lying privileges:Which makes me oft to bicker and turn red.In shepherd's clothing, greedy wolves' belowRange wide o'er all the pastures. Arm of God!Why longer sleep'st thou ? Cahorsines and Gascons'Prepare to quaff our blood. O good beginning!To what a vile conclusion must thou stoop.But the high Providence, which did defend,[401]Through Scipio, the world's empery for Rome,Will not delay its succour: and thou, son,Who through thy mortal weight shalt yet againReturn below, open thy lips, nor hideWhat is by me not hidden." As a floodOf frozen vapours streams adown the air,What time the she-goat1 with her skiey hornTouches the sun; so saw I there stream wideThe vapours, who with us had linger'd late,And with glad triumph deck the ethereal cope.Onward my sight their semblances pursued;So far pursued, as till the space betweenFrom its reach sever'd them: whereat the guideCelestial, marking me no more intentOn upward gazing, said, "Look down, and seeWhat circuit thou hast compast." From the hour 10When I before had cast my view beneath,All the first region overpast I saw,Which from the midmost to the boundary winds;That onward, thence, from Gades," I beheldThe unwise passage of Laertes' son;And hitherward the shore, 12 where thou, Europa,Madest thee a joyful burden; and yet moreOf this dim spot had seen, but that the sun, 13A constellation off and more, had ta'enHis progress in the zodiac underneath.Then by the spirit, that doth never leaveIts amorous dalliance with my lady's looks,Back with redoubled ardour were mine eyesLed unto her: and from her radiant smiles,Whenas I turn'd me, pleasure so divineDid lighten on me, that whatever baitOr art or nature in the human flesh,Or in its limn'd resemblance, can combine
p. 401¶' When the sun is in Capricorn.2 2 Phcenicia, where Europa, daughter of
p. 402¶Through greedy eyes to take the soul withal,Were, to her beauty, nothing. Its boon influenceFrom the fair nest of Leda 14 rapt me forth,And wafted on into the swiftest Heaven.What place for entrance Beatrice chose,I may not say; so uniform was all,Liveliest and loftiest. She my secret wishDivined; and, with such gladness, that God's loveSeem'd from her visage shining, thus began:"Here is the goal, whence motion on his raceStarts: motionless the centre, and the restAll moved around. Except the soul divine,Place in this Heaven is none; the soul divine,Wherein the love, which ruleth o'er its orb,Is kindled, and the virtue, that it sheds:One circle, light and love, enclasping it,As this doth clasp the others; and to Him,Who draws the bound, its limit only known.Measured itself by none, it doth divideMotion to all, counted unto them forth,As by the fifth or half ye count forth ten.The vase, wherein time's roots are plunged, thou seest:Look elsewhere for the leaves. O mortal lust!That canst not lift thy head above the wavesWhich whelm and sink thee down. The will in manBears goodly blossoms; but its ruddy promiseIs, by the dripping of perpetual rain,Made mere abortion: faith and innocenceAre met with but in babes; each taking leave,Ere cheeks with down are sprinkled: he, that fastsWhile yet a stammerer, with his tongue let looseGluts every food alike in every moon:One, yet a babbler, loves and listens toHis mother; but no sooner hath free useOf speech, than he doth wish her in her grave.So suddenly doth the fair child of him,Whose welcome is the morn and eve his parting,To negro blackness change her virgin white.[403]"Thou, to abate thy wonder, note, that noneBears rule in earth; and its frail familyAre therefore wanderers. Yet before the date,When through the hundredth in his reckoning dropt,Pale January must be shoved asideFrom winter's calendar, these heavenly spheresShall roar so loud, that fortune shall be fain"To turn the poop, where she hath now the prow;So that the fleet run onward: and true fruit,Expected long, shall crown at last the bloom."
Canto XXVIII
¶ARCUMENT.—Still in the ninth heaven, our Poet is permitted to behold the divine essence; and then sees, in three hierarchies, the nine choirs of angels. Beatrice clears some difficulties which occur to him on this occasion.
¶SO she, who doth imparadise my soul,Had drawn the veil from off our present life,And bared the truth of poor mortality:When lo! as one who, in a mirror, spiesThe shining of a flambeau at his back,Lit sudden ere he deem of its approach,And turneth to resolve him, if the glassHave told him true, and sees the record faithfulAs note is to its metre; even thus,I well remember, did befal to me,Looking upon the beauteous eyes, whence loveHad made the leash to take me. As I turn'd:And that which none, who in that volume looks,Can miss of, in itself apparent, struckMy view; a point I saw, that darted lightSo sharp, no lid, unclosing, may bear upAgainst its keenness. The least star we kenFrom hence, had seem'd a moon; set by its side,As star by side of star. And so far off,Perchance, as is the halo from the lightWhich paints it, when most dense the vapour spreads;
¶" "Fortune shall be fain." The corn- he vainly hoped would follow on the mentators in general suppose that our arrival of the Emperor Henry VII in Italy. Poet here augurs that great reform which
p. 404¶There wheel'd about the point a circle of fire,More rapid than the motion which surrounds,Speediest, the world. Another this enring'd;And that a third; the third a fourth, and thatA fifth encompass'd; which a sixth next bound;And over this, a seventh, following, reach'dCircumference so ample, that its bow,Within the span of Juno's messenger,Had scarce been held entire. Beyond a seventh,Ensued yet other two. And every one,As more in number distant from the first,Was tardier in motion: and that glow'dWith flame most pure, that to the sparkle of truth,Was nearest; as partaking most, methinks,Of its reality. The guide belovedSaw me in anxious thought suspense, and spake:"Heaven, and all nature, hangs upon that point.The circle thereto most conjoin'd observe;And know, that by intenser love its courseIs, to this swiftness, wing'd." To whom I thus:"It were enough; nor should I further seek,Had I but witness'd order, in the worldAppointed, such as in these wheels is seen.But in the sensible world such difference is,That in each round shows more divinity,As each is wider from the centre. Hence,If in this wondrous and angelic temple,That hath, for confine, only light and love,My wish may have completion, I must know,Wherefore such disagreement is betweenThe exemplar and its copy: for myself,Contemplating, I fail to pierce the cause.""It is no marvel, if thy fingers foil'dDo leave the knot untied: so hard 'tis grownFor want of tenting." Thus she said: "But take,"She added, "if thou wish thy cure, my words,And entertain them subtly. Every orb,Corporeal, doth proportion its extentUnto the virtue through its parts diffused.The greater blessedness preserves the more,[405]The greater is the body (if all partsShare equally) the more is to preserve.Therefore the circle, whose swift course enwheelsThe universal frame, answers to thatWhich is supreme in knowledge and in love.Thus by the virtue, not the seeming breadthOf substance, measuring, thou shalt see the Heavens,Each to the intelligence that ruleth it,Greater to more, and smaller unto less,Suited in strict and wondrous harmony."As when the north blows from his milder cheekA blast, that scours the sky, forthwith our air,Clear'd of the rack that hung on it before,Glitters; and, with his beauties all unveil'd,The firmament looks forth serene, and smiles:Such was my cheer, when Beatrice droveWith clear reply the shadows back, and truthWas manifested, as a star in Heaven.And when the words were ended, not unlikeTo iron in the furnace, every cirque,Ebullient, shot forth scintillating fires:And every sparkle shivering to new blaze,In number1 did outmillion the accountReduplicate upon the chequer'd board.Then heard I echoing on, from choir to choir,"Hosanna," to the fixed point, that holds,And shall for ever hold them to their place,From everlasting, irremovable.Musing awhile I stood: and she, who sawMy inward meditations, thus began:"In the first circles, they, whom thou beheld'stAre Seraphim and Cherubim. Thus swiftFollow their hoops, in likeness to the point,Near as they can, approaching; and they canThe more, the loftier their vision. ThoseThat round them fleet, gazing the Godhead next,Are Thrones; in whom the first trine ends. And all[406]Are blessed, even as their sight descendsDeeper into the Truth, wherein rest isFor every mind. Thus happiness hath rootIn seeing, not in loving, which of sightIs aftergrowth. And of the seeing suchThe meed, as unto each, in due degree,Grace and good-will their measure have assign'd.The other trine, that with still opening budsIn this eternal springtide blossom fair,Fearless of bruising from the nightly ram, 2Breathe up in warbled melodies threefoldHosannas, blending ever; from the three,Transmitted, hierarchy of gods, for ayeRejoicing; dominations first; next them,Virtues; and powers the third; the next to whomAre princedoms and archangels, with glad roundTo tread their festal ring; and last, the bandAngelical, disporting in their sphere.All, as they circle in their orders, lookAloft; and, downward, with such sway prevail,That all with mutual impulse tend to God.These once a mortal view beheld. DesireIn Dionysius, 3 so intensely wrought,That he, as 1 have done, ranged them; and named,Their orders, marshal'd in his thought. From him,Dissentient, one refused his sacred read.But soon as in this Heaven his doubting eyesWere opcn'd, Gregory 4 at his error smiled.Nor marvel, that a denizen of earthShould scan such secret truth; for he had learnt*[407]Both this and much beside of these our orbs,From an eye-witness to Heaven's mysteries."
Canto XXIX
¶ARGUMENT.—Beatrice beholds, in the mirror of divine truth, some doubts which had entered the mind of Dante. These she resolves; and then digresses into a vehement reprehension of certain theologians and preachers in those days, whose ignorance or avarice induced them to substitute their own inventions for the pure word of the Gospel.
¶NO longer, than what time Latona's twinsCover'd of Libra and the fleecy star,Together both, girding the horizon hang;In even balance, from the zenith poised;Till from that verge, each, changing hemisphere,Part the nice level; e'en so brief a spaceDid Beatrice's silence hold. A smileSat painted on her cheek; and her fix'd gazeBent on the point, at which my vision fail'd:When thus, her words resuming, she began:"I speak, nor what thou wouldst inquire demand;For I have mark'd it, where all time and placeAre present. Not for increase to HimselfOf good, which may not be increased, but forthTo manifest His glory by its beams;Inhabiting His own eternity,Beyond time's limit or what bound soe'erTo circumscribe His being; as He will'd,Into new natures, like unto Himself,Eternal Love unfolded. Nor before,As if in dull inaction, torpid, lay.For, not in process of before or aft,Upon these waters moved the Spirit of God.Simple and mix'd, both form and substance, forthTo perfect being started, like three dartsShot from a bow three-corded. And as rayIn crystal, glass, and amber, shines entire,E'en at the moment of its issuing; thusDid, from the eternal Sovran, beam entireHis threefold operation, at one act[408]Produced coeval. Yet, in order, eachCreated his due station knew: those highest,Who pure intelligence were made; mere power,The lowest; in the midst, bound with strict league,Intelligence and power, unsever'd bond.Long tract of ages by the Angels past,Ere the creating of another world,Described on Jerome's pages, 1 thou hast seen.But that what I disclose to thee is true,Those penmen, 1 whom the Holy Spirit movedIn many a passage of their sacred book,Attest; as thou by diligent search shalt find:And reason, 3 in some sort, discerns the same,Who scarce would grant the heavenly ministers,Of their perfection void, so long a space.Thus when and where these spirits of love were made,Thou know'st, and how: and, knowing, hast allay'dThy thirst, which from the triple question 4 rose.Ere one had reckon'd twenty, e'en so soon,Part of the Angels fell: and in their fall,Confusion to your elements ensued.The others kept their station: and this task,Whereon thou look'st, began, with such delight,That they surcease not ever, day nor night,Their circling. Of that fatal lapse the causeWas the curst pride of him, whom thou hast seenPent with the world's incumbrance. Those, whom hereThou seest, were lowly to confess themselvesOf His free bounty, who had made them aptFor ministeries so high: therefore their viewsWere, by enlightening grace and their own merit,Exalted; so that in their will confirm'dThey stand, nor fear to fall. For do not doubt,But to receive the grace, which Heaven vouchsafes,[409]Is meritorious, even as the soulWith prompt affection welcometh the guest.Now, without further help, if with good heedMy words thy mind have treasured, thou henceforthThis consistory round about mayst scan,And gaze thy fill. But, since thou hast on earthHeard vain disputers, reasoners in the schools,Canvass the angelic nature, and disputeIts powers of apprehension, memory, choice;Therefore, 'tis well thou take from me the truth,Pure and without disguise; which they below,Equivocating, darken and perplex."Know thou, that, from the first, these substances,Rejoicing in the countenance of God,Have held unceasingly their view, intentUpon the glorious vision, from the whichNought absent is nor hid: where then no changeOf newness, with succession, interrupts,Remembrance, there, needs none to gather upDivided thought and images remote."So that men, thus at variance with the truth,Dream, though their eyes be open; reckless someOf error; others well aware they err,To whom more guilt and shame are justly due.Each the known track of sage philosophyDeserts, and has a bye-way of his own:So much the resdess eagerness to shine,And love of singularity prevail.Yet this, offensive as it is, provokesHeaven's anger less, than when the Book of GodIs forced to yield to man's authority,Or from its straightness warp'd: no reckoning madeWhat blood the sowing of it in the worldHas cost; what favour for himself he wins,Who meekly clings to it. The aim of allIs how to shine: e'en they, whose office isTo preach the Gospel, let the Gospel sleep,And pass their own inventions off instead.One tells, how at Christ's suffering the wan moonBent back her steps, and shadow'd o'er the sun[410]With intervenient disk, as she withdrew: 'Another, how the light shrouded itselfWithin its tabernacle, and left darkThe Spaniard, and the Indian, with the Jew.Such fables Florence in her pulpit hears,Bandied about more frequent, than the namesOf Bindi and of Lapi1 in her streets.The sheep, meanwhile, poor widess ones, returnFrom pasture, fed with wind: and what availsFor their excuse, they do not see their harm?Christ said not to His first conventicle,'Go forth and preach impostures to the world,'But gave them truth to build on; and the soundWas mighty on their lips: nor needed they,Beside the Gospel, other spear or shield,To aid them in their warfare for the faith.The preacher now provides himself with storeOf jests and gibes; and, so there be no lackOf laughter, while he vents them, his big cowlDistends, and he has won the meed he sought:Could but the vulgar catch a glimpse the whileOf that dark bird which nesdes in his hood,They scarce would wait to hear the blessing said,Which now the dotards hold in such esteem,That every counterfeit, who spreads abroadThe hands of holy promise, finds a throngOf credulous fools beneath. Saint AnthonyFattens with this his swine,2 and others worseThan swine, who diet at his lazy board,Paying with unstampt metal3 for their fare,"But (for we far have wander'd) let us seekThe forward path again; so as the wayBe shorten'd with the time. No mortal tongue,Nor thought of man, hath ever reach'd so far,That of these natures he might count the tribes.What Daniel" of their thousands hath reveal'd,[411]With finite number, infinite conceals.The fountain, at whose source these drink their beams,With light supplies them in as many modes,As there are splendours that it shines on: eachAccording to the virtue it conceives,Differing in love and sweet affection.Look then how lofty and how huge in breadthThe eternal Might, which, broken and dispersedOver such countless mirrors, yet remainsWhole in itself and one, as at the first."