The Divine Comedy by Dante, Illustrated, Paradise, Complete. Dante Alighieri

Than have those spirits which so late thou saw'st;

       Nor more or fewer years exist; but all

       Make the first circle beauteous, diversely

       Partaking of sweet life, as more or less

       Afflation of eternal bliss pervades them.

       Here were they shown thee, not that fate assigns

       This for their sphere, but for a sign to thee

       Of that celestial furthest from the height.

       Thus needs, that ye may apprehend, we speak:

       Since from things sensible alone ye learn

       That, which digested rightly after turns

       To intellectual. For no other cause

       The scripture, condescending graciously

       To your perception, hands and feet to God

       Attributes, nor so means: and holy church

       Doth represent with human countenance

       Gabriel, and Michael, and him who made

       Tobias whole. Unlike what here thou seest,

       The judgment of Timaeus, who affirms

       Each soul restor'd to its particular star,

       Believing it to have been taken thence,

       When nature gave it to inform her mold:

       Since to appearance his intention is

       E'en what his words declare: or else to shun

       Derision, haply thus he hath disguis'd

       His true opinion. If his meaning be,

       That to the influencing of these orbs revert

       The honour and the blame in human acts,

       Perchance he doth not wholly miss the truth.

       This principle, not understood aright,

       Erewhile perverted well nigh all the world;

       So that it fell to fabled names of Jove,

       And Mercury, and Mars. That other doubt,

       Which moves thee, is less harmful; for it brings

       No peril of removing thee from me.

       "That, to the eye of man, our justice seems

       Unjust, is argument for faith, and not

       For heretic declension. To the end

       This truth may stand more clearly in your view,

       I will content thee even to thy wish

       "If violence be, when that which suffers, nought

       Consents to that which forceth, not for this

       These spirits stood exculpate. For the will,

       That will not, still survives unquench'd, and doth

       As nature doth in fire, tho' violence

       Wrest it a thousand times; for, if it yield

       Or more or less, so far it follows force.

       And thus did these, whom they had power to seek

       The hallow'd place again. In them, had will

       Been perfect, such as once upon the bars

       Held Laurence firm, or wrought in Scaevola

       To his own hand remorseless, to the path,

       Whence they were drawn, their steps had hasten'd back,

       When liberty return'd: but in too few

       Resolve so steadfast dwells. And by these words

       If duly weigh'd, that argument is void,

       Which oft might have perplex'd thee still. But now

       Another question thwarts thee, which to solve

       Might try thy patience without better aid.

       I have, no doubt, instill'd into thy mind,

       That blessed spirit may not lie; since near

       The source of primal truth it dwells for aye:

       And thou might'st after of Piccarda learn

       That Constance held affection to the veil;

       So that she seems to contradict me here.

       Not seldom, brother, it hath chanc'd for men

       To do what they had gladly left undone,

       Yet to shun peril they have done amiss:

       E'en as Alcmaeon, at his father's suit

       Slew his own mother, so made pitiless

       Not to lose pity. On this point bethink thee,

       That force and will are blended in such wise

       As not to make the' offence excusable.

       Absolute will agrees not to the wrong,

       That inasmuch as there is fear of woe

       From non-compliance, it agrees. Of will

       Thus absolute Piccarda spake, and I

       Of th' other; so that both have truly said."

       Such was the flow of that pure rill, that well'd

       From forth the fountain of all truth; and such

       The rest, that to my wond'ring thoughts I found.

       "O thou of primal love the prime delight!

       Goddess!" I straight reply'd, "whose lively words

       Still shed new heat and vigour through my soul!

       Affection fails me to requite thy grace

       With equal sum of gratitude: be his

       To recompense, who sees and can reward thee.

       Well I discern, that by that truth alone

       Enlighten'd, beyond which no truth may roam,

       Our mind can satisfy her thirst to know:

       Therein she resteth, e'en as in his lair

       The wild beast, soon as she hath reach'd that bound,

       And she hath power to reach it; else desire

       Were given to no end. And thence doth doubt

       Spring, like a shoot, around the stock of truth;

       And it is nature which from height to height

       On to the summit prompts us. This invites,

       This doth assure me, lady, rev'rently

       To ask thee of other truth, that yet

       Is dark to me. I fain would know, if man

       By other works well done may so supply

       The failure of his vows, that in your scale

       They lack not weight." I spake; and on me straight

       Beatrice look'd with eyes that shot forth sparks

       Of love celestial in such copious stream,

       That, virtue sinking in me overpower'd,

       I turn'd, and downward bent confus'd my sight.

CANTO V

       Table of Contents

       "If beyond earthly wont, the flame of love

       Illume me, so that I o'ercome thy power

       Of vision, marvel not: but learn the cause

       In that perfection of the sight, which soon

       As apprehending,