Song and Legend From the Middle Ages [53]
lukewarmness; in the fifth, avarice; in the sixth, gluttony; in the seventh, incontinence is purged by fire. Having passed through all these, Dante and his guide ascend to the summit of the mountain, the earthly Paradise. Here Virgil ceases to guide the poet, but leaves him to choose for a while his own way. To him here descends Beatrice who, before assuming his further guidance, rebukes him for his manner of life on earth.
At the last audit, so The blest shall rise, from forth his cavern each Uplifting lightly his new-vested flesh; As, on the sacredl litter, at the voice Authoritative of that elder, sprang A hundred ministers and messengers Of life eternal. "Blessed thou, who comest!" And, "Oh!" they cried, "from full hands scatter ye Unwithering lilies": and, so saying, cast Flowers over head and round them on all sides. I have beheld, ere now, at break of day, The eastern clime all roseate; and the sky Opposed, one deep and beautiful serene; And the sun's face so shaded, and with mists Attemper'd, at his rising, that the eye Long while endured the sight: thus, in a cloud Of flowers, that from those hands angelic rose, And down within. and outside of the car Fell showering, in white veil with olive wreathed, A virgin in my view appear'd, beneath Green mantle, robed in hue of living flame: And o'er my spirit, that so long a time Had from her presence felt no shuddering dread, Albeit mine eyes discern'd her not, there moved A hidden virtue from her, at whose touch The power of ancient love was strong within me. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Upon the chariot's same edge still she stood, Immovable; and thus address'd her words: "I shape mine answer, for his ear intended, Who there stands weeping;[1] that the sorrow now May equal the transgression. Not alone Through operation of the mighty orbs, That mark each seed to some predestined aim, As with aspect or fortunate or ill The constellations meet; but through benign Largess of heavenly graces, which rain down From such a height as mocks our vision, this man Was, in the freshness of his being, such, So gifted virtually, that in him All better habits wonderously had thrived He more of kindly strength is in the soil, So much doth evil seed and lack of culture Mar it the more, and make it run to wildness. These looks sometime upheld him; for I showed My youthful eyes, and led him by their light In upright walking. Soon as I had reach'd The threshold of my second age, and changed My mortal for immortal; then he left me, And gave himself to others. When from flesh To spirit I had risen, and increase Of beauty and of virtue circled me, I was less dear to him, and valued less. His steps were turn'd into deceitful ways, Following false images of good, that make No promise perfect. Nor availed me aught To sue for inspirations, with the which, I, both in dreams of night, and otherwise, Did call him back; of them, so little reck'd him. Such depth he fell, that all device was short Of his preserving, save that he should view The children of perdition. To this end I visited the purlieus of the dead: And one, who hath conducted him thus high, Received my supplications urged with weeping. It were a breaking of God's high decree, If Lethe should be past, and such food[3] tasted, Without the cost of some repentant tear."
[1] Who there stands weeping. Dante.
[2] Such food. The oblivion of sins.
The third part of the Divine Comedy is the vision of Paradise. Dante's Paradise is divided into ten heavens, or spheres. Through these in succession the poet is conducted by Beatrice, until in the tenth heaven, or the Empyrean, he comes into the visible presence of God.
I. The Visible Presence. From the Paradiso.
O eternal beam! (Whose height what reach of mortal thought may soar?) Yield me again some little particle Of what thou then appearedst; give my tongue Power' but to leave one sparkle of thy glory, Unto the race to come' that shall not lose Thy triumph wholly, if thou waken aught Of memory in me, and endure to hear The record sound in this unequal strain. . . . . . . . . . .
At the last audit, so The blest shall rise, from forth his cavern each Uplifting lightly his new-vested flesh; As, on the sacredl litter, at the voice Authoritative of that elder, sprang A hundred ministers and messengers Of life eternal. "Blessed thou, who comest!" And, "Oh!" they cried, "from full hands scatter ye Unwithering lilies": and, so saying, cast Flowers over head and round them on all sides. I have beheld, ere now, at break of day, The eastern clime all roseate; and the sky Opposed, one deep and beautiful serene; And the sun's face so shaded, and with mists Attemper'd, at his rising, that the eye Long while endured the sight: thus, in a cloud Of flowers, that from those hands angelic rose, And down within. and outside of the car Fell showering, in white veil with olive wreathed, A virgin in my view appear'd, beneath Green mantle, robed in hue of living flame: And o'er my spirit, that so long a time Had from her presence felt no shuddering dread, Albeit mine eyes discern'd her not, there moved A hidden virtue from her, at whose touch The power of ancient love was strong within me. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Upon the chariot's same edge still she stood, Immovable; and thus address'd her words: "I shape mine answer, for his ear intended, Who there stands weeping;[1] that the sorrow now May equal the transgression. Not alone Through operation of the mighty orbs, That mark each seed to some predestined aim, As with aspect or fortunate or ill The constellations meet; but through benign Largess of heavenly graces, which rain down From such a height as mocks our vision, this man Was, in the freshness of his being, such, So gifted virtually, that in him All better habits wonderously had thrived He more of kindly strength is in the soil, So much doth evil seed and lack of culture Mar it the more, and make it run to wildness. These looks sometime upheld him; for I showed My youthful eyes, and led him by their light In upright walking. Soon as I had reach'd The threshold of my second age, and changed My mortal for immortal; then he left me, And gave himself to others. When from flesh To spirit I had risen, and increase Of beauty and of virtue circled me, I was less dear to him, and valued less. His steps were turn'd into deceitful ways, Following false images of good, that make No promise perfect. Nor availed me aught To sue for inspirations, with the which, I, both in dreams of night, and otherwise, Did call him back; of them, so little reck'd him. Such depth he fell, that all device was short Of his preserving, save that he should view The children of perdition. To this end I visited the purlieus of the dead: And one, who hath conducted him thus high, Received my supplications urged with weeping. It were a breaking of God's high decree, If Lethe should be past, and such food[3] tasted, Without the cost of some repentant tear."
[1] Who there stands weeping. Dante.
[2] Such food. The oblivion of sins.
The third part of the Divine Comedy is the vision of Paradise. Dante's Paradise is divided into ten heavens, or spheres. Through these in succession the poet is conducted by Beatrice, until in the tenth heaven, or the Empyrean, he comes into the visible presence of God.
I. The Visible Presence. From the Paradiso.
O eternal beam! (Whose height what reach of mortal thought may soar?) Yield me again some little particle Of what thou then appearedst; give my tongue Power' but to leave one sparkle of thy glory, Unto the race to come' that shall not lose Thy triumph wholly, if thou waken aught Of memory in me, and endure to hear The record sound in this unequal strain. . . . . . . . . . .