Part 23

through the sky there descended a torch, formed in a circle like a crown, and girdled her and wheeled about her.

Whatever melody sounds most sweet here below and draws the soul most to it, would seem a cloud that thundering splits,

compared to the sounding of that lyre wherewith was crowned the fair sapphire whereof the clearest heaven is sapphired.

'I am angelic love, that circle the high gladness which breathes from the womb that was the lodging of our desire;

and I shall circle, lady of heaven, while thou followest thy son, and shalt make the supreme sphere more godlike because he enters there.'

Thus the circling melody sealed itself, and all the other lights made sound the name of Mary.

The royal mantle of all the volumes of the world, which most glows and most lives in the breath of God and in its customs,

had above us the inner shore so distant, that its appearance, where I was, appeared not yet:

wherefore my eyes had not power to follow the crowned flame that rose up after its seed.

And as a little child that toward his mother stretches his arms, after he has taken the milk, through the soul that flames forth even outward;

each of those brightnesses stretched upward with its summit, so that the high affection they had for Mary was made plain to me.

Then they remained there before my sight, singing 'Regina coeli' so sweetly, that never did the delight depart from me.

Oh how great is the abundance that is folded in those most rich arks which were good seed-plots sown here below!

There one lives and enjoys the treasure which was won by weeping in the exile of Babylon, where gold was left behind.

There triumphs, beneath the high Son of God and of Mary, of his victory, and with the ancient and the new council,

he who holds the keys of such glory.

Paradiso Canto XXIV

'O fellowship elect to the great supper of the blessed Lamb, who feeds you so that your will is ever full,

if by grace of God this man foretastes somewhat of that which falls from your table, before death prescribes him time,

give heed to his immense affection and sprinkle him a little: ye drink always of the fount whence comes what he thinks.'

Thus Beatrice; and those joyful souls made themselves spheres fixed on steadfast poles, flaming, at times, like comets.

And as wheels in the frame of clocks turn so, that he who gives heed sees the first quiet, and the last flying;

thus those dances, differently dancing, of their riches made me estimate, swift and slow.

Of her whom I noted as most gracious I saw issue a fire so happy, that none was left brighter than it;

and three times around Beatrice it wheeled with a song so divine, that my fantasy cannot recall it to me.

Therefore the pen leaps and writes it not: for our image at such folds, not only speech, is too vivid a colour.

'O holy sister mine, who dost so pray us devoutly, through thy burning affection thou unbindest me from that fair sphere.'

Then stayed, the blessed fire directed its breath to my lady, who spoke thus as I have said.

And she: 'O light eternal of the great man to whom Our Lord left the keys which he bore down, of this wondrous joy,

try this man on points light and grave, as pleases thee, concerning the faith, for which thou didst go over the sea.

If he loves well and hopes well and believes, it is not hidden from thee, for thou hast thy sight there where every thing is seen depicted;

but because this realm has made citizens through the true faith, to glorify it, to speak of her befits that he be reached.'

As the bachelor arms himself and speaks not until the master propounds the question, to approve it, not to determine it,

so armed I myself with every reason while she was speaking, to be ready for such questioner and such profession.

'Say, good Christian, make thyself manifest: what is faith?' Whereon I raised my brow to that light whence this breathed;

then turned to Beatrice, and she made prompt semblance that I should pour forth the water from without of my inner fount.

'The Grace which gives me to confess,' I began, 'from the exalted prime captain, make my concepts well expressed.'

And I continued: 'As the truthful stylus wrote of thee, father, by thy dear brother who set thee with Rome on the good thread,

faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen; and this seems to me her quiddity.'

Then heard I: 'Rightly thou feelest, if well thou understandest why he placed it among substances, and then among evidences.'

And I thereupon: 'The deep things which here vouchsafe me their appearance, to the eyes down there are so hidden,

that their being is there in belief alone, whereon is founded the high hope; and therefore it takes name of substance.

And from this belief we must syllogize, without having other sight: wherefore it holds name of evidence.'

Then heard I: 'If whatsoever is acquired below through doctrine, were so understood, the wit of the sophist would have no place there.'

Thus breathed that enkindled love; then added: 'Right well has now been assayed the alloy and weight of this coin;

but tell me if thou hast it in thy purse.' Whereon I: 'Yea I have it, so lucid and so round, that in its minting nought sticks to me.'

Thereafter issued from the deep light that shone there: 'This precious jewel on which every virtue is founded,

whence came it to thee?' And I: 'The abundant rain of the Holy Spirit, which is diffused on old hides and on new,

is a syllogism which has concluded it in me so acutely, that toward it every demonstration seems to me blunt.'

I heard then: 'The old and the new proposition which thus concludes thee, why hast thou for divine utterance?'

And I: 'The proof that unlocks the truth to me is the works that followed, to which nature never heats iron nor strikes anvil.'

It was answered me: 'Say, who assures thee that those works were? The very same that would be proved, not another, swears it to thee.'

'If the world turned to Christianity,' said I, 'without miracles, this alone is such, that the others are not the hundredth part:

for thou didst enter poor and fasting into the field, to sow the good plant which was once vine and now is become thorn.'

This finished, the high holy court resounded through the spheres a 'Laudamus Deum' in the melody that is sung up there.

And that baron who from branch to branch, examining, had already drawn me, that we were approaching the topmost leaves,

began again: 'The Grace, which dallies with thy mind, opened thy mouth up to here as it behoved to open,

so that I approve what issued forth; but now must thou express what thou believest, and whence to thy belief it offered itself.'

'O holy father, and spirit who seest what thou didst believe so, that thou didst vanquish to the sepulchre with younger feet,'

I began, 'thou willest that I manifest the form here of my ready belief, and also the cause of it thou didst ask.

And I answer: I believe in one God alone and eternal, who moves all heaven, unmoved, with love and with desire;

and to such belief I have not only physical and metaphysical proofs, but gives me also the truth that rains down here

through Moses, through prophets and through psalms, through the Gospel and through you who wrote after the burning Spirit made you worthy;

and I believe in three eternal persons, and these I believe one essence so one and so trine, that it endures conjoined 'are' and 'is'.

Of the deep divine condition which I now touch, the evangelical doctrine oftentimes seals my mind.

This is the principle, this is the spark which then spreads into living flame, and like a star in heaven scintillates in me.'

As the lord who listens to what pleases him, thereupon embraces the servant, rejoicing for the news, as soon as he is silent;

so, blessing me in song, three times encircled me, as I was silent, the apostolic light at whose command

I had spoken: so in the speaking I pleased him!

Paradiso Canto XXV

If ever it chance that the sacred poem whereon heaven and earth have laid hand, so that it has made me lean through many years,

conquer the cruelty which shuts me out from the fair fold where I slept a lamb, foe to the wolves that war on it;

with other voice now, with other fleece shall I return a poet, and at the font of my baptism shall take the cap;

for there in the faith, which makes souls known to God, I entered, and then Peter for it turned my brow to him.

Then moved toward us a light from that sphere whence issued the first-fruits who left Christ of his vicars;

and my lady, full of gladness, said to me: 'Look, look: behold the baron for whom down there Galicia is visited.'

As when the dove alights near its mate, the one to the other unfolds, wheeling and murmuring, its affection;

so saw I the one from the other great glorious prince welcomed, praising the food which there above he eats.

But when the gratulation was fulfilled, silent coram me each fixed himself, enflamed so that he vanquished my face.

Smiling then Beatrice said: 'Illustrious life through whom the bounty of our basilica was written,

make hope resound in this height: thou knowest, that as often as thou figur'st it, so often Jesus made three more dear.'

'Lift thy head and make thyself secure: for what comes hither from the mortal world must needs be matured in our rays.'

This comfort of the second fire came to me; whereon I lifted my eyes to the mounts which had bowed me before with too much weight.

'Since by grace it wills that thou confront our Emperor, before death, in the most secret hall with his counts,

so that, having seen the truth of this court, hope, which below enamours well, may in thee and in others comfort of this;

say what it is, say how it flowers in thy mind, and say whence it came to thee.' Thus pursued the second light further.

And that pious one who guided the wings of my feathers to so high a flight, prevented me thus to the answer:

'The Church militant has no son with more hope, as is written in the Sun that rays all our host:

wherefore it is granted him that from Egypt he come to Jerusalem to see, before the military be prescribed him.

The other two points, which are not asked for knowing, but that he report how much this virtue pleases thee,

I leave to him, for they will not be hard nor of vainglory; and let him answer thereto, and the grace of God permit him this.'

As a disciple who seconds the doctor ready and glad in that he is expert, that his goodness be unveiled,

'Hope,' said I, 'is a certain awaiting of future glory, which produces divine grace and precedent merit.

From many stars comes this light to me; but he distilled it first into my heart who was the highest singer of the highest duke.

“Stories of the world, in your language.”