Part 13

“Are those spirits, master, that I hear?”, I said. And he to me: “You truly understand, and they go loosing the knot of wrath.”

“Now who are you, that cleavest our smoke, and speak of us just as if still for you the time were portioned out by calends?”

Thus was it said by a voice; wherefore my master said: “Answer, and ask if from here one goes up.”

And I: “O creature, who cleansest thyself to return fair to Him who made thee, a marvel shalt thou hear, if thou follow me.”

“I will follow thee as far as is allowed me”, he answered; “and if the smoke let us not see, hearing shall keep us joined in its stead.”

Then I began: “With that vesture which death unwinds I go up, and came here through infernal anguish.

And if God has enclosed me in His grace, so that He wills I see His court in a mode all beyond modern use,

hide not from me who thou wast before death, but tell me, and tell me if I go rightly to the pass; and thy words shall be our guides.”

“Lombard was I, and was called Marco; the world I knew, and that worth I loved to which now each has drawn his bow.

To mount straight up thou goest.” Thus he answered, and added: “I pray thee that for me thou pray when thou art above.”

And I to him: “By faith I bind myself to thee to do what thou askest; but I burst within a doubt, if I unfold it not.

First it was simple, and now is made double in thy saying, which makes me certain here, and elsewhere, of that whereon I join it.

The world is indeed thus all desert of every virtue, as thou soundest to me, and big with and covered by malice;

but pray that thou show me the cause, so that I may see it and may show it to others; for one in heaven places it, and one here below.”

A deep sigh, which grief compressed into “uh!”, he first sent forth; then began: “Brother, the world is blind, and thou comest well from it.

You who live refer every cause up to the heavens, just as if all moved of necessity with them.

If it were so, in you would be destroyed free will, and there would be no justice for good in joy, and for evil in mourning.

The heavens initiate your motions; not all, I say, but, supposing I say it, light is given you for good and for evil,

and free will; which, if it struggle in the first battles with the heavens, then conquers all, if well nurtured.

To a greater force and a better nature you freely are subject; and that creates the mind in you, which heaven has not in its care.

Wherefore, if the present world goes astray, in you is the cause, in you let it be sought; and I will now be true spy thereof for thee.

Issues from the hand of Him who fondles it before it is, like a little girl who weeping and laughing plays as a child,

the simple soul that knows nothing, save that, moved by a joyful Maker, it willingly turns to that which sports with it.

Of a little good it first tastes the savor; therein is it deceived, and runs after it, if guide or rein turn not its love.

Whence it behooved to put law for a rein; it behooved to have a king, who should discern at least the tower of the true city.

The laws are, but who lays hand on them? No one, because the shepherd who goes before may chew the cud, but has not cloven hoof;

whereby the people, who see their guide aim only at that good whereof it is greedy, feed on that, and ask no further.

Well canst thou see that the evil conduct is the cause that has made the world wicked, and not nature which in you is corrupt.

Rome, which made the good world, used to have two suns, which made visible both the one road and the other, of the world and of God.

The one has quenched the other; and the sword is come to the pastoral staff, and the one with the other by live force ill must go together;

for, joined, the one fears not the other: if thou believe me not, heed the ear of corn, for every herb is known by its seed.

In the land which the Adige and Po water, valor and courtesy used to be found, before Frederick had his trouble;

now one may safely pass there for whoever left, through shame, to speak with the good or draw near them.

Still there are three old men there in whom the old age reproaches the new, and it seems to them slow that God restore them to a better life:

Conrad of Palazzo and good Gherardo and Guido of Castel, who is better named, in French, the simple Lombard.

Say now that the Church of Rome, by confounding in herself two governments, falls in the mire, and befouls herself and her burden.”

“O my Marco”, said I, “thou reasonest well; and now I discern why the sons of Levi were exempt from the heritage.

But what Gherardo is that whom thou for wise sayest remained of the extinct people, in reproof of the savage age?”

“Either thy speech deceives me, or it tempts me”, answered he to me; “for, speaking Tuscan to me, it seems thou hast no knowledge of good Gherardo.

By no other surname do I know him, unless I take it from his daughter Gaia. God be with you, for I come no further with you.

See the dawn which through the smoke already whitens, and I must part (the angel is there) before I appear to it.”

Thus he turned back, and would hear no more from me.

Purgatory Canto XVII

Remember, reader, if ever in the Alps mist caught thee, through which thou sawest no otherwise than through the skin of moles,

how, when the humid and thick vapors begin to thin, the sphere of the sun weakly enters through them;

and thy imagining will be light in coming to see how I re-saw the sun first, which now was in its setting.

So, matching my steps to the faithful steps of my master, I issued from such cloud to the rays already dead on the low shores.

O imagination, that sometimes stealest us thence so outwardly, that man perceives not though a thousand trumpets sound around,

who moves thee, if sense afford thee naught? A light moves thee that takes form in heaven, by itself or by a will that guides it down.

Of the impiety of her who changed form into the bird that most delights to sing, in my image appeared the trace;

and here my mind was so shut within itself, that from without came nothing that was then received by it.

Then rained within the high fantasy a crucified one, disdainful and fierce in his aspect, and such was dying;

around him was great Ahasuerus, Esther his wife and the just Mordecai, who was so whole in word and deed.

And as this image broke itself by itself, like a bubble which lacks the water beneath where it was made,

there rose in my vision a maiden weeping bitterly, and said: “O queen, why through anger wouldst thou be naught?

Thou hast slain thyself, not to lose Lavinia; now hast thou lost me! I am she who mourns, mother, for thy ruin before another’s.”

As sleep is broken where suddenly a new light strikes the closed face, which broken flits ere it wholly dies;

so my imagining fell down soon as a light struck my face, greater far than that which is in our use.

I turned me to see where I was, when a voice said “Here one mounts”, which from every other intent removed me;

and made my will so prompt to look who it was that spoke, that it never rests till it confront him.

But as at the sun which our sight oppresses and veils its figure by excess, so my power failed me there.

“This is a divine spirit, who without prayer directs us on the way to go up, and with his light conceals himself.

So he does with us, as a man does with a beggar; for he who waits for prayer and sees the need, malignantly already sets himself to deny.

Now let us accord our foot to so great an invitation; let us strive to ascend ere it darken, for then it could not be, if day return not.”

Thus said my leader, and I with him turned our steps to a stair; and soon as I was on the first step,

I felt near me as it were a moving of wing and a fanning on my face and a saying: “Blessed are the peacemakers, who are without evil wrath!”

Already were the last rays that night follows so raised above us, that the stars appeared on many sides.

“O my virtue, why dost thou thus fade?”, I said within myself, for I felt the power of my legs put in truce.

We were where the stair climbed no higher, and we were fixed, like a ship that arrives at the shore.

And I listened a little, if I might hear aught in the new circle; then turned to my master, and said:

“Sweet my father, say, what offense is purged here in the round where we are? If the feet stand still, let not thy discourse.”

And he to me: “The love of good, diminished of its duty, here is restored; here the late-plied oar is beaten back.

But that thou mayst understand yet more openly, bend thy mind to me, and thou shalt take some good fruit of our stay.”

“Neither creator nor creature ever”, he began, “son, was without love, either natural or of the mind; and thou knowest it.

The natural is always without error, but the other may err through evil object or through too much or too little vigor.

While it is directed to the first good, and in the second measures itself, it cannot be cause of evil delight;

but when it turns to evil, or with more care or with less than it ought runs in the good, against the Maker it works its making.

Whence thou canst comprehend that love must be seed in you of every virtue and of every operation that merits penalty.

Now, because love can never turn its face from the salvation of its subject, from self-hatred all things are free;

and because one cannot understand as divided, and standing by itself, any being from the first, from that to hate every effect is decreed.

It remains, if I estimate well by dividing, that the evil that is loved is of the neighbor; and this love is born in three modes in your clay.

There is who, that his neighbor be oppressed, hopes for excellence, and only for this desires that he be put low from his greatness;

there is who power, grace, honor and fame fears to lose because another rises, whereby he is so sad that he loves the contrary;

and there is who through injury seems affronted, so that he makes himself greedy for revenge, and such behooves that he imprint the evil of another.

This threefold love is wept below here: now will I that thou understand the other, which runs to the good with corrupted order.

Each confusedly apprehends a good wherein the soul may rest, and desires it; wherefore each strives to reach it.

If slow love draws you to see it or to acquire it, this cornice, after just repentance, martyrs you for it.

Another good is there which makes not man happy; it is not felicity, it is not the good essence, fruit and root of every good.

The love that too much abandons itself to it, is wept above us for three circles; but as it is reasoned as threefold,

I leave it unsaid, that thou mayst seek it by thyself.”

Purgatory Canto XVIII

The lofty doctor had put an end to his discourse, and looked attentively into my face if I seemed content;

and I, whom new thirst still goaded, was silent without, and within said: “Perhaps too much questioning that I do weighs on him.”

But that true father, who perceived the timid will that opened not, speaking, gave me boldness to speak.

Wherefore I: “Master, my sight is quickened so in thy light, that I discern clearly whatever thy reason partitions or describes.

Wherefore I pray thee, sweet dear father, that thou show me love, to which thou reducest every good work and its contrary.”

“Direct”, said he, “toward me the keen lights of the intellect, and shall be made manifest the error of the blind who make themselves guides.

The soul, which is created to love quickly, is movable to everything that pleases, as soon as by pleasure it is aroused to act.

Your apprehensive draws from being true intention, and unfolds it within you, so that it makes the soul turn to it;

and if, turned, it bend toward it, that bending is love, that is nature which for new pleasure binds itself in you.

Then, as fire moves on high through its form which is born to rise there where it lasts most in its matter,

so the soul taken enters into desire, which is spiritual motion, and never rests until the loved thing makes it rejoice.

Now can appear to thee how hidden is the truth to the folk who aver every love in itself a laudable thing;

for perhaps its matter appears always to be good, but not every sign is good, though the wax be good.”

“Thy words and my following wit”, answered I to him, “have discovered love to me, but this has made me more full of doubting;

for, if love is offered from without to us and the soul goes not with other foot, whether it goes straight or crooked, is not its merit.”

And he to me: “Whatsoever reason here sees, can I tell thee; from thence onward await only Beatrice, who is work of faith.

Every substantial form, which is set apart from matter and is united with it, has specific virtue gathered in itself,

which without operating is not felt, nor ever shows itself save through effect, as through green leaves life in a plant.

Wherefore, whence the intellect comes of the first notions, man knows not, nor of the first desirable things the affection,

which are in you as study in the bee to make the honey; and this first will does not admit of merit of praise or blame.

Now because to this every other gathers, in you is innate the virtue that counsels, and holds the threshold of assent.

This is the principle whence is taken reason of meriting in you, according as it receives and winnows good and evil loves.

They who reasoning went to the bottom, perceived this innate liberty; wherefore they left morality to the world.

Wherefore, suppose that of necessity arises every love that within you is kindled, in you is the power to retain it.

The noble virtue Beatrice intends by free will, and therefore heed that thou bear it in mind, if she speak to thee.”

The moon, well toward midnight late, made the stars seem to us more rare, made like a bucket that ever burns;

and ran counter to the heaven through those roads which the sun inflames when that from Rome sees it between Sardinians and Corsicans when it sets.

And that gentle shade by whom is named Pietola more than Mantuan village, had laid down the burden of my charge;

wherefore I, who had gathered up reason open and plain above my questions, stood like a man whom sleep makes vain.

But this slumber was taken from me suddenly by folk who behind our backs were already turned to us.

And as Ismenus and Asopus once saw along themselves by night fury and throng, when the Thebans had need of Bacchus,

such through that gyre his step reaps, through that which I saw of those coming, whom good will and just love ride.

Soon were they above us, because running all that great crowd moved; and two in front cried weeping:

“Mary ran with haste to the mountain; and Caesar, to subjugate Ilerda, pricked Marseilles and then ran into Spain.”

“Quick, quick, that time be not lost for little love”, cried the others behind, “that study of well-doing greens with grace.”

“O folk in whom keen fervor now perhaps recomposes negligence and delay by you put in well-doing through lukewarmness,

this one who lives, and certainly I lie not to you, would go up, so the sun but shine on us; wherefore tell us where the opening is near.”

These were words of my leader; and one of those spirits said: “Come behind us, and thou shalt find the hole.

We are so full of will to move, that we cannot stay; wherefore pardon, if you hold our rudeness as justice.

I was abbot in San Zeno at Verona under the empire of good Barbarossa, of whom Milan still speaks grieving.

And one already has a foot in the grave, who soon shall weep for that monastery, and be sad to have had power;

because his son, ill of body whole, and worse of mind, and who was born ill, has put in place of its true pastor.”

I know not if he said more or fell silent, so far already was he run beyond us; but this I heard, and it pleased me to retain.

And he who was ever aid to me in need said: “Turn hither: see two coming, giving bite to sloth.”

Behind all they said: “First died the folk to whom the sea opened, ere Jordan saw their heirs.

And she who endured not the toil to the end with Anchises’ son, offered herself to a life without glory.”

Then when those shades were so divided from us that they could no more be seen, a new thought arose within me,

from which more were born, and diverse; and so from one to another I wandered, that my eyes closed through vagrancy,

and the thought changed into dream.

Purgatory Canto XIX

In the hour when the diurnal heat can no more warm the cold of the moon, vanquished by earth, and sometimes by Saturn—

when the geomants see their Greater Fortune rise in the east, before the dawn, by a way that little dims it—

there came to me in dream a stammering woman, squint-eyed, and distorted on her feet, with maimed hands, and of pallid color.

I gazed on her; and as the sun comforts the cold limbs which night weighs down, so my look made her guide

the tongue, and then straightened her all in a little while, and the bewildered face, as love wills, thus colored her.

After she had thus unloosed her speech, she began to sing so, that with pain from her would I have turned my intent.

“I am”, she sang, “I am sweet siren, who lead the mariners astray in mid-sea; so full am I of pleasure to hear!

I turned Ulysses from his wandering way to my song; and who with me accustoms, seldom departs; so all I satisfy!”

Not yet was her mouth closed, when a lady appeared, holy and alert, beside me to confound her.

“O Virgil, Virgil, who is this?”, she said fiercely; and he was coming with eyes fixed only on that modest one.

The other took her, and opened her before, rending the garments, and showed me her belly; that woke me with the stench that issued.

I moved my eyes, and the good master: “At least three voices have I put!”, said he, “Arise and come; let us find the opening by which thou enter.”

Up I rose, and all were already full of the high day, the gyres of the sacred mount, and we went with the new sun at our backs.

Following him, I bore my brow like one who has it charged with thought, making of himself a half arch of a bridge;

when I heard “Come; here one passes” speak in mode so sweet and benign, as is not heard in this mortal mark.

With wings open, that seemed of swan, he turned us upward who so spoke between two walls of the hard rock.

He moved the feathers then and fanned us, “Blessed are they that mourn” affirming, who shall have of consoling the souls ladies.

“What hast thou, that still toward earth thou gazest?”, my guide began to say to me, little above the angel both of us.

And I: “With such suspicion makes me go a new vision that bends me to it, so that I cannot part from the thought.”

“Thou sawest”, said he, “that ancient witch who alone above us now is bewailed; thou sawest how man unwinds from her.

Enough for thee, and beat on earth thy heels; turn thine eyes to the worn stone which turns the eternal King with the great wheels.”

As the falcon, that first looks at his feet, then turns to the cry and stretches forth through the desire of the food that draws him there,

such made me; and such, as far as opens the rock to give way to him who goes up, I went until the circling is taken.

As I was disclosed in the fifth gyre, I saw folk through it who wept, lying on the ground all turned downward.

“Adhaesit pavimento anima mea” I heard them say with sighs so deep, that the word scarce was understood.

“O elect of God, whose sufferings justice and hope make less hard, direct us toward the high ascents.”

“If ye come from lying secure, and would find the way more quickly, let your right hands be ever outward.”

Thus prayed the poet, and so answered was given us a little before; wherefore in the speech I noted the other hidden,

and turned my eyes to the eyes of my lord: whereon he assented to me with glad sign that which the sight of my desire asked.

After I could do of myself at my will, I drew myself above that creature whose words had first made me note him,

saying: “Spirit in whom weeping matures that without which to God return thou canst not, stay a little thy greater care for me.

Who wast thou and why have ye turned your backs upward, tell me; and if thou wouldst I obtain for thee something from there whence I moved living.”

And he to me: “Why our backs the heaven turns to itself, thou shalt know; but first know that I was successor of Peter.

Between Sestri and Chiaveri descends a fair river, and of its name the title of my blood makes its summit.

A month and little more I proved how weighs the great mantle on him who guards it from mire, for feathers seem all other loads.

My conversion, alas!, was late; but, when I was made Roman pastor, thus I discovered the lying life.

I saw that there the heart rested not, nor higher could one rise in that life; wherefore in this my love was kindled.

Up to that point miserable and parted from God was I, soul wholly avaricious; now, as thou seest, here am I punished for it.

That which avarice does, here is declared in purgation of the converted souls; and no pain has the mountain more bitter.

As our eye kindled not on high, fixed on earthly things, so justice here merged it in the earth.

As avarice quenched in every good our love, whereby we lost operation, so justice here tightly holds us,

bound and taken by the feet and by the hands; and as long as pleases the just Sire, so long shall we stay immovable and outstretched.”

I had kneeled and would have spoken; but as I began and he perceived, by only listening, my reverence,

“What cause”, said he, “thus bent thee down?”. And I to him: “For your dignity my conscience rightly reproached me.”

“Straighten thy legs, rise up, brother!”, he answered; “err not: fellow-servant am I with thee and with the others to one power.

If ever that holy evangelical sound which says ‘Neither marry’ thou hast heard, well canst thou see why I thus speak.

Go now: I will not that thou stay more; for thy stay distresses my weeping, wherewith I mature that which thou saidst.

I have a niece yonder named Alagia, good of herself, so our house make her not wicked by example;

and she alone of mine remains to me yonder.”

Purgatory Canto XX

Against a better will a worse will fights; wherefore against my pleasure, to please him, I drew the unsated sponge from the water.

I moved; and my leader moved along the cleared places still by the rock, as one goes by a wall narrow to the merlons;

for the folk who drop drop by drop through the eyes the evil that all the world occupies, from the other side approach too much.

Accursed be thou, ancient wolf, that more than all other beasts hast prey through thy hunger without end deep!

O heaven, in whose turning it seems is believed the conditions here below to be changed, when shall come he through whom this descend?

We went with steps slow and scant, and I attentive to the shades, whom I heard piteously weep and lament;

“Stories of the world, in your language.”